Maybe
by erm31323
Summary: Grace and Oliver's story from the night Annie was kidnapped until the ending celebration. Based on the 1982 film.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - I was watching Annie with my daughter the other day and this story popped into my head and wouldn't leave. This is my first fanfic, I hope you enjoy.**

"_It'll be fine, nothing to fear_

_She'll be as happy as she was here._

_Things have worked out, much better than planned_

_It makes you smile, when fate takes a hand._

_And I know I'll forget, how much she meant to me_

_And how she was almost my baby. Maybe." - from Annie_

Oliver Warbucks stood on the balcony of his office, watching the car holding his daughter drive away. How he had come to think of Annie as his daughter after such a short time, he wasn't entirely certain. The little girl just had a way of worming herself into even the hardest of hearts almost instantly. And Oliver knew about hard hearts, his had been crusted over tightly for as long as he could remember. But Annie had broken through. The shell around his heart slowly breaking off piece by piece, until it was laid bare and vulnerable. Only to have it ripped out and torn to shreds, then stuffed back inside his chest, broken and bleeding. He sighed deeply, taking a small sip of brandy from the glass he held in his hand.

He thought he had lived his life in such a way, as to protect himself from that kind of hurt. He kept people at arm's length, never becoming too close to anyone. He had acquaintances and business contacts, no friends or romantic entanglements. Sometimes it was lonely, but it was a lot safer and a lot less painful than this was. He sighed again, thinking of another who had chipped away at the cracks in his armor until she had broken through as well. He set the brandy snifter on the balcony railing, placing the heels of his hands on either side, leaning forward, looking out into the darkness. What was he going to do about Grace?

* * *

><p>Grace Farrell stood outside the door to the office, hand raised to knock, when she heard quiet singing. Grace's breath caught as she heard the melancholy in Oliver's words, the sadness in his voice and she had to lean against the door frame for support. She rested her forehead and the palm of her hand against the door, a few tears leaking from her eyes. 'Oh Annie,' she thought. 'How are we going to go on without you?'<p>

Grace wrapped her arms around herself, thinking of the child that charmed everyone she met and had them wrapped around her finger within moments. She certainly had done so for Grace, the moment she caught sight of her in Miss Hannigan's office. Grace had been trying to crack through that hard shell of Oliver's for years and Annie had managed to do it within days, hours really. Grace was frightened of Oliver's reaction to Annie's departure and how he would cope. His normal stoicism had gotten him through the immediate shock of her leaving, but Grace knew that wouldn't last forever. And what of the two of them? She had felt closer to him in the last few days than she had in all the years she had worked for him and had been thrilled when he seemed to return her feelings of interest.

She shook her head, feeling guilty of worrying about her possible relationship when Annie was gone and Oliver was hurting. She turned and pressed an ear to the door again, and hearing nothing she squared her shoulders and made a decision. She would help Oliver get through this, they would help each other. She raised her hand to knock again, then thought better of it and opened the door and walked in.

* * *

><p>Oliver started slightly as he heard the door open behind him. He knew it would be Grace. No one else would have entered without knocking and mere days ago, she would not have either. He found himself almost smiling at her boldness, just one of the things about her that intrigued him. He heard her soft footsteps cross the office and enter the balcony behind him.<p>

"Oliver?" she said tentatively and he turned to look at her. He saw that she had been crying, her face was flushed, her eyes red and tear tracks still made their way down her cheeks. He saw the pain in her eyes and knew that she loved Annie just as much as he did. He knew what he should do, what she wanted him to do and if he were honest, what **he** wanted to do as well. He should take her in his arms and let them comfort each other in their grief, take solace in knowing he still had this beautiful, intelligent woman by his side. They could help each other, he knew they would never get over Annie, but they could move on, together.

But this pain he felt right now, this hole that had been torn through his heart, he couldn't bear it. He couldn't stand if something happened to Grace, if she left him one day, as Annie had. Years of closing himself off to everyone had made the pain, when he had finally let himself feel again, just that much worse. He knew he wouldn't survive pain like this again because for all his temper and blustering, he really was weak. Grace was the strong one, the one who took care of everything, the one who would make it through. She didn't need his help, she could do it on her own. He slowly began to weave the tight casing around his heart once again, as he spoke.

"Miss Farrell, we'll need to get started on the Pittsburgh factory in the morning. I've been putting off the reorganization for far too long. We'll have to close it all together if I don't do something quickly." He turned from her then and walked back into his office. He sat down at his desk, opening a file and flipping through papers. Grace hadn't moved and he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She still stood on the balcony, a look of shock on her face, but recovered herself quickly.

"Of course, sir," she replied as she walked into the room. She paused at his desk, trying to catch his eye, but Oliver pretended he didn't see. Eventually, she crossed the room to the door and paused.

"Good night, sir," she said quietly, a hint of a quaver in her voice. Oliver grunted in return, not trusting himself to speak, knowing his voice would break worse than hers had. He didn't see the hurt cross her face as he ignored her. She left the room and closed the door behind her and as it clicked shut, Oliver sighed and leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

* * *

><p>Grace walked quickly from the office to her room, forcing herself not to run and stifling sobs until she reached her door. She pulled her bedroom door shut behind her and sank down onto her bed, pulling her knees up to her chest. How could she have misread things so completely? Of course Oliver, no, Mr. Warbucks, didn't have feelings for her. It was nothing more than his love for Annie that had spilled over and made him friendlier with everyone. The rest of the staff had remarked more than once on the change, he was less grumpy, there wasn't as much yelling and they had actually heard him laugh quite often in the last week. It had nothing to do with Grace and how he did, or didn't, feel about her. And now Annie was gone, a thought that tore Grace's heart in two, and she and Oliver were back to Miss Farrell and Mr. Warbucks. The thought of that brought on a new round of tears and Grace was unsure if she was crying over Annie or the loss of a relationship she never really had.<p>

How could she continue to work for him now, knowing how she felt about him, how they might have grown to feel for each other? Of course, she had felt this way for quite some time, but because he didn't return her feelings, it was easy to keep hers hidden. But now, even though the moments they had shared had been brief and innocent - a touch of the hand, a shy smile, him telling her she was pretty, she wasn't sure she could go back to the way it had been. Knowing Oliver knew how she felt, or at least suspected in any case, how could she go back to being just his secretary? And Annie was gone now, she didn't even have the little girl's light to look forward to every day. Perhaps it was time to move on, start fresh somewhere else.

But the thought of leaving, really leaving the place she considered her home, was enough to pull Grace from her misery. She sat up, her tears stopped and chastised herself. 'Pull yourself together, Grace,' she admonished. She was being ridiculous and letting these silly school-girl feelings run away with her. She was a professional, she could and would act as such. She stood and went to her bathroom to wash her face and make herself presentable. If Mr. Warbucks wanted to get started on the Pittsburgh plant in the morning, she had things to do. She looked at herself in her mirror and clucked her tongue in annoyance at the hair falling softly around her face. What had she been thinking? She made to start winding her hair into her usual pinned up style when she heard a commotion from downstairs. Curious, she opened her door and listened, hearing Punjab and the Asp talking to what sounded like a young girl. Then she heard Annie's name and practically flew down the stairs.

Standing just inside the front door were five little girls, all dressed as rattily as Annie had been when Grace had first picked her up at the orphanage. They were arguing with Punjab, telling him they needed to speak to Mr. Warbucks. As Grace descended the stairs, she noticed that Punjab was holding an even smaller girl in his arms. Grace hurried toward the group, wondering what on earth was going on.

"Pepper look, it's her, the lady that came and got Annie," one of the girls insisted, pointing at Grace. Grace looked at the girl, but didn't recognize her, there had been so many girls at the orphanage.

"Punjab, what's all this?" Grace asked as she approached. Before he could answer, another of the girls spoke up.

"Please ma'am, we need to talk to Mr. Warbucks. We live at the orphange with Annie. We need to tell him something. It's really, really important." Before Grace could question the girls further, she heard footsteps on the stairs. Oliver had heard the commotion as well and come to investigate. Grace, Punjab and the Asp steered the girls toward the stairs, Punjab still holding the smallest, who had apparently fainted. As the girls told them all what had happened with Miss Hannigan and her accomplices, Grace had to grab the Asp's shoulder as her knees buckled in fear. She looked up and her eyes locked with Oliver's. He was white as a sheet and she took a step toward him, fearing he might trip and tumble down the stairs. Punjab was quicker and reached his employer first, grasping his arm, while still holding on to the little girl with the other.

Grace drew in a deep breath to center herself and went into action mode. Punjab's grip seemed to have done the same for her boss as she looked up at Oliver again and saw that he had done the same, yelling for everyone to call the police, the mayor, the President, and to get the cars and auto copter ready. Grace bustled the girls off with Mrs. Greer and Mrs. Pugh and ran to put in her phone calls. Ten minutes later she was in the driveway with Oliver, climbing into the car with him. He looked as if he was going to argue with her, then nodded and they drove off as fast as Oliver could go.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N - I played a little with the timing of Grace and Oliver's arrival at the bridge and their reactions. I always thought they were a little too calm, considering the circumstances. :)**

When Punjab called them and told them he had found Annie near the railroad bridge, Oliver's mind started flashing on all the horrible possibilities that could happen to a young girl on a railroad bridge. But, never would he have imagined the sight that met them when they finally reached it. Annie was climbing the raised bridge like a ladder, the man who they had thought was her father, following quickly behind. As Oliver exited the car, he reached for Grace instinctively and took her hand. She clasped his and squeezed as they stood and watched the scene before them, terrified. At one point, the man had almost reached Annie, his hand grazed her foot and then he lost his grip and slipped down a few inches before regaining his balance. It was enough for Annie to get away from him again, but Oliver realized in horror that she was almost to the end of the bridge. Grace realized the same thing as she gasped and buried her face in Oliver's shoulder. Oliver reached up a hand and ran it over her hair and then gripped her upper arm. Grace leaned into him and turned to watch again, her head still resting on his shoulder.

As Annie climbed over the end of the bridge, looking for a way to escape, they saw Punjab lowering himself down from the auto copter by his turban. Oliver sucked in a breath, praying that he would reach Annie in time. Grace tightened her grip on his hand, bringing her other arm around his front to grip his side, hanging on for dear life. He released her hand and put his arm around her waist, returning the favor. The man had gotten hold of Annie's arms now and was prying her from her grip on the girder of the bridge. Annie was screaming and Grace gasped, a sob escaping her throat.

"Please God," Oliver whispered, "Please don't let her fall." Grace squeezed his waist again and let out a little scream herself as Annie fell. Oliver's legs turned watery and it was only the fact that he had a death grip on Grace that kept him from falling. His heart was practically leaping out of his chest, and he could feel Grace's pounding as well, as she leaned against him. He watched as Annie got another grip further down and saw that Punjab had almost reached her. When Punjab did get a hold of the child and Oliver saw her wrap her arms around Punjab's neck, he released the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, knowing she would be all right now. Grace quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks as they ran to Punjab when he reached the ground, Oliver taking Annie from his arms and hugging her tightly. Grace hugged Annie and then Punjab, coming back to Oliver and Annie, wrapping her arms around them both.

* * *

><p>Oliver quietly closed the door behind him. Annie had fallen asleep on the way home, Grace had helped him put her into her pajamas and then left him to sit by Annie's bed. Oliver had sat, stroking Annie's hair and holding her hand until he was satisfied that she was sleeping soundly. As the door closed, he leaned against it, scrubbing a hand over his face. He really should find Grace and make sure she was all right, but he wasn't sure what to say or how to act around her now. Things had changed between them, he couldn't deny it to himself any longer. The question was, what did he plan to do about it? For that he had no answer.<p>

Oliver went to his study and poured himself a drink, then wandered aimlessly through the house until he found himself on the back terrace. He stared out onto the huge expanse of back lawn and gardens and remembered his breakfast with Grace just a few days ago. She had asked him if he really just loved money and power and capitalism and reminded him that they were never going to love him back. A truer statement was never spoken, but they couldn't hurt him like love could either. Like Annie's departure and subsequent kidnapping had tonight. Still, he knew there was no way he could lose that little girl again. Through questioning of Miss Hannigan, he had learned that Annie's parents were in fact, dead, and that he would be free to adopt Annie if he wished. He was positive that Annie wanted to be adopted by him, but he would make sure in the morning. If she agreed, she would be his daughter, his little girl, forever, and no one could take that away from him.

But Grace, Grace was a completely different story. She was free to do what she wanted, she wasn't tied to him as a child would be. He was almost sure he was in love with her. Oh hell, he was completely sure he was in love with her. But, he didn't know how she felt about him. And even if she thought she loved him now, there was no guarantee that would last. He was older than her, set in his ways, ornery. Yes, she dealt with his moods well, but that was as his employee, it was part of her job. Dealing with him in a personal relationship would be completely different. It was probably better if they remained employer and employee.

But then there was Annie. He knew she looked at Grace as a mother figure and he knew Annie had been, not so subtly, trying to push the two of them together. The child just wanted a regular family after all. Perhaps he should give it a chance for Annie's sake. Oliver sighed and shook his head. But what would happen to Annie if Grace decided Oliver wasn't what she wanted and left them? It would devastate Annie even more than if things just remained as they were now. No, Oliver thought, he needed to put Annie first and forget about his feelings for Grace. Grace could mother Annie just as easily even if she were only his secretary. He wouldn't mind having the help and he knew Grace loved Annie as if she were her own. Oliver was about to turn to go back and check on Annie again, when a movement in the gardens caught his eye. He leaned against the rail of the terrace, squinting into the darkness, trying to make out who it was. He vaguely wondered where the Asp was, Punjab had been given the night off for his heroics, but the absence of any barking from Sandy indicated it wasn't an intruder.

The figure came closer and as the person stepped around the hedge and into the light, Oliver realized it was Grace. The moonlight shone through her hair as it lightly bounced around her shoulders, her blue skirt blowing slightly in the breeze. Oliver saw that she had taken off her shoes and carried them, dangling by their heel straps, in one hand, lightly running her other hand over the hedge she had just stepped around. She paused, crossing her arms in front of her. As she tilted her head to look up at the stars, Oliver gasped at the way the moon glinted off her face, bathing her in its soft light, making her appear even more beautiful. He almost lost his resolve, wanting to run and take her in his arms right then. As though sensing his presence, she turned, looking directly into his eyes, a sad smile crossing her face.

* * *

><p>Grace came around the corner of the hedge, deeply lost in her thoughts, unaware she was being watched. Her mind was full of everything that had happened over the last few hours, Annie's departure, her kidnapping and rescue and Oliver. Most of all, Oliver. As they had watched, stunned and horrified at the railroad bridge, their actions toward each other were more than employer and employee. They were worried parents, terrified for their child, gaining strength from one another as they waited and hoped. She had felt Oliver's knees buckle when Punjab finally grabbed Annie. Grace's strength held him up, as his had her when she saw Annie dropped from the bridge and Grace had screamed, burying her face in his shoulder. And she felt his joy as strongly as her own, when Annie and Punjab finally touched ground. She had gazed at him, the entire car ride home, as he held a sleeping Annie on his lap, stroking her hair, whispering in her ear that she was all right, would always be all right from now on. Grace had felt tears slide down her face at his tenderness, a side she had seen more and more of since Annie had come into their lives. He had glanced up at her then and given her a small smile, squeezing her hand briefly where it lay between them on the seat. Grace's heart had leapt, hoping that his behavior earlier, after Annie had driven away, had just been born of grief.<p>

And yet, once they were home and Annie safely tucked into bed, his demeanor changed once again and he was quiet and formal. She thought once he had sat with Annie for a bit, he would seek her out and they could finally talk, but he had gone into his study instead. Going stir-crazy in the house, Grace had fled to the gardens, a place that had always calmed her, except for tonight. She was jumpy and jittery, she knew that the adrenaline from the night had not completely worn off and the confusion about Oliver didn't help matters. She crossed her arms and turned her face upward, staring at the stars sprinkled across the sky. As she gazed at them, she felt as though she were being watched and slowly turned to see Oliver standing on the terrace, staring at her. She gave him a small smile, which he did not return, and began to make her way back to the house. She half-expected him to turn tail and run, but he remained standing where he was as she came up the steps and stood beside him.

They stood in silence for a few moments, looking out into the garden and then Grace turned to him.

"Is Annie still sleeping then?" she asked.

"Yes," Oliver replied, continuing to gaze into the gardens. "She seems to be fine, no worse for wear. Physically anyway," he added, almost as an afterthought.

"She's a tough little girl," Grace said. "She'll be all right."

"Mm," Oliver replied, avoiding Grace's gaze. Grace looked back at the gardens and then at her bare feet, making her decision.

"Oliver," she began, but he interrupted.

"Miss Farrell, it's very late and it's been an exhausting night," he said, not looking at her. "I'm going to check on Annie and then head to bed. I'll see you in the morning." He turned, leaving his glass on the small table beside him and walked toward the house. Grace watched him go and then sank onto a chair as he disappeared into the house, a sob escaping her lips as she did so. She grabbed the glass he had left behind and almost threw it to the flagstones of the terrace, but thought better of it at the last moment, slamming it down onto the table instead. The fragile glass was no match for the stone table and shattered in Grace's hand, slicing her palm. She cried out in pain as the blood welled from the cut, slowly dripping onto the table top.

* * *

><p>Oliver paused just inside the door, taking a deep breath and trying to summon the strength to leave Grace where she sat. Then he heard her sob and his heart broke again. At the sound of the glass shattering and the small cry that followed, he turned back, his heart in this throat. Oliver saw the blood dripping from her hand and hurried toward her, already pulling his handkerchief from his pocket.<p>

"Let me see," he said as he reached her table, gently pulling her hand toward him. She resisted for a moment, then opened her palm, showing him the cut. He grimaced at the piece of glass still embedded in it.

"That needs to come out," he said, quietly. "Would you like me to get Mrs. Greer?"

"No, no, don't wake her just for this," Grace insisted. "I can do it." She reached toward the cut, her face blanching and swaying slightly as she did so. Oliver shook his head at her squeamishness and lightly pushed her hand away before he grasped the glass shard between his fingers, pulling it out quickly. Grace gasped, then closed her hand instinctively at the pain. Oliver gingerly opened her hand again, wrapping his handkerchief around the cut tightly. Grace closed her hand over the end to hold it in place and looked up at him.

"Thank you sir," she smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Are you all right?" he asked, concerned. She nodded, not looking at him.

"What happened?" he asked, although he knew perfectly well what had upset her. She reddened, still refusing to look at him.

"Just me being clumsy," she said quietly.

"I'm sorry I left the glass there," he replied, mentally chastising himself for being so careless. "I should have taken it with me." She waved her good hand, brushing off his apology.

"Perhaps I should walk you to your room. You should really wash the cut out," Oliver said. Grace looked up at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

"I'm fine sir," she told him.

"Miss Ferrell, you should really," Oliver began, but Grace interrupted him before he could finish.

"Please," was all she said, before her voice cracked and she turned away from him completely.

"As you wish," he replied, slowly walking into the house. He stopped at the door, looking back to her again, but she had wandered to the terrace rail and stood with her back to him, shoulders shaking ever so slightly. He turned to go to her then, broken heart be damned, when he heard a scream from inside the house. Annie, was his only thought as he broke into a run toward her room.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N - If you've read this far, please let me know what you think! **

Grace heard the scream through the open terrace doors and quickly stood, tears forgotten and raced up to Annie's room. The door was already open, Oliver had beaten her there of course, and had the girl in his arms, stroking her hair and shushing her. Annie was sobbing into his chest, and Grace's own tears made a reappearance as she walked up behind Oliver, putting a tentative hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her and nodded, as Grace sank down beside him on the bed, rubbing Annie's back. Annie looked up and reached for Grace, crying harder as Grace took her into her arms, wincing as Annie rubbed against Grace's cut hand.

"Shh, Annie, shh now," Grace soothed, slowly rocking her back and forth. "You're safe, everything is all right." Oliver's hand came up to join hers on Annie's back as he leaned toward the two of them.

"Do you want to tell us about your dream, sweetheart?" he asked quietly. Annie shook her head, burying her face further into Grace's neck.

"Sometimes it helps dear, to tell someone else," Grace encouraged. Annie took a breath and sat up, looking from Grace to Oliver and back again.

"I was on the bridge again, only this time, Punjab couldn't get to me. I was hanging on so tight and he kept trying to grab me, but he kept missing. I kept calling for him to help me, but he kept getting farther away from me. And then I couldn't hold on anymore and I fell. I kept falling and falling and I saw you, Miss Farrell, and you, Mr. Warbucks, walking away, but not together, you walked away in different directions and I just kept falling and falling and I knew that I lost everyone," Annie finished, sobbing anew.

Grace leaned down and kissed Annie on the top of her head, continuing to rub her back, whispering quietly to her, rocking her all the while. Grace felt Oliver shift toward Annie a bit more and he bumped up against Grace lightly. Grace flinched away, looking up at him and he nodded his head in apology, then moved away from her, reaching up a hand to stroke Annie's head. Annie finally quieted and then sat up to look at the both of them again.

"But that won't happen, right?" she asked, her eyes beseeching. "I'm going to stay here, with you?"

"Of course, child, of course," Oliver assured her. "I want to adopt you Annie, you know that."

"And we'll be a family? With Miss Farrell? A real family?" Annie continued, looking from one to the other. Grace, startled, looked at Oliver, who was just as shocked as she. Grace recovered quickly, hoping the smile she gave Annie was genuine.

"Of course Annie, you'll always have a family here," Grace insisted. "Come now, let's get you back in bed." Annie looked at her suspiciously, Grace knew she hadn't really answered the girl's question.

"But," Annie began as Grace tucked her back under the covers.

"Hush now, dear, try and get some sleep," Grace interrupted. Grace knew there would be more questions from the girl in the morning, but she hoped that exhaustion would win out for now. Grace didn't have long to wait as Annie's eyelids drooped quickly and soon Grace and Oliver heard the rhythmic breathing of peaceful sleep. Grace leaned down and kissed Annie's forehead, brushing a strand of hair away from her face and then stepped back. Oliver followed suit, tucking the covers more securely around her. They walked quietly from the room, Oliver leaving the door open a bit in case Annie awoke again.

"How is your hand?" Oliver asked, once they had walked a few feet from Annie's door. Grace looked at the handkerchief wrapped around her palm. She'd forgotten all about it while she had been comforting Annie, but now noticed that it had started to bleed again, seeping through her make-shift bandage.

"It's fine," she replied, but Oliver had seen the blood.

"We need to get that doctored properly," he insisted. "Please, come into my study, I'll get the kit Mrs. Greer keeps there and fix it up for you."

"Mr. Warbucks, that's not necessary," Grace protested. "I can take care of it myself."

"Nonsense," Oliver insisted. "You can't bandage it with just one hand." He placed a hand on her arm, slowly guiding her to his study. Grace sighed and followed him, knowing it was useless to protest. Once Oliver set his mind to something, there was no changing it.

* * *

><p>As they entered the study, Oliver gestured for Grace to have a seat on the sofa, then went into the small bathroom to pull out the first aid supplies he knew were kept there. He pulled down bandages and tape, antiseptic and a small cloth, carrying everything back into the study and setting it on the small end table near the couch. He sat on the coffee table and took Grace's hand in his own, slowly unwinding the handkerchief. She grimaced as it pulled free of the cut, which had already started to clot. Oliver scanned the cut again, making sure that he had indeed removed all the glass before cleansing it with the antiseptic. Grace gasped as the antiseptic touched the gash, he gave her an apologetic look to which she just nodded. Oliver carefully bandaged the wound, then patted her hand and gave her a small smile.<p>

"It doesn't look too deep and I made sure all the glass was gone," Oliver told her.

"Thank you sir," she said quietly, starting to rise from the couch. Oliver stopped her with a hand to her arm.

"Miss Farrell, I think we need to have a talk," he said.

"Sir, I'm very tired, can't this," Grace began, but stopped as Oliver held up his hand.

"Please," he requested. Grace paused, then nodded her head, sinking back down on the couch. Oliver hesitated, not sure where to begin. He suspected she knew what he was about to say, but that knowledge didn't make it any easier for him, knowing he was going to hurt her. And she was so distracting, with her hair tousled from holding onto Annie, her face flushed from the all the tears she had already shed tonight. He found himself staring at her for much longer than he intended and shook his head, as if clearing it.

"I want to apologize to you for the way I've been acting the last few days. I feel as if I've blurred the lines in our relationship and that was inexcusable," he said, looking down at his hands instead of her. He heard her swift intake of breath and heard her shift on the couch. He glanced up, but her face was blank, she was looking down at her lap. He rose, walking to the window, trying to give himself time to compose his thoughts.

"Now that Annie is back, I need to concentrate on helping her adjust after everything she's been through, as well as having a new father. I know she had," he paused, not sure how to phrase it. "Expectations, as to how things were going to be between the three of us." He paused again, still not turning to look at Grace. He couldn't bear to see the hurt that he knew was in her eyes, nor did he want her to see his.

"Sir, please," Grace said quietly. "There's no need to go on. Of course Annie should be the priority. Don't trouble yourself any further." He heard her stand and walk towards the door. At her quiet 'good night' he clenched his hands into fists, forcing himself to stay where he was. He heard her open the door and then close it softly behind her.

Oliver took a deep breath and tried to slow the rapid beating of his heart. The events of the day were catching up with him. Oliver saw Annie climbing for her life up the railroad bridge, he saw he hanging from the edge and then dropping down before getting another grip. He heard her scream and her cries for help. Her saw her in her nightmare as she had described, falling and falling with he and Grace just walking away from her,. He saw Grace walking quietly out the door. He tried to breathe regularly, but his breath was hitching in his chest and he started to feel dizzy. He turned to grab the chair, but his vision swam and then everything went black and he slumped, heavily, to the floor.

* * *

><p>Grace stood with her back to the door, trying to find the strength to make it to her room, when all she wanted to do was sink down to the floor and sleep, emotionally spent from the events of the day. She wasn't surprised by what Oliver, no Mr. Warbucks, she had to start thinking of him as Mr. Warbucks again, had said. But, his constant change in demeanor and behavior was making her head spin. She wasn't sure what to think anymore and she was far too exhausted to even try and figure it out. Grace took a few steps away from the door, intent on heading to her room and going to bed when she heard a large thump from the study and then silence. She took a step back toward the door, listening intently, but still heard nothing. Concern etched her brow as she knocked quietly on the door.<p>

"Mr. Warbucks," she called. "Sir?" There was no answer. Grace knocked a little louder, but still got no response. Worried now, she opened the door and looked into the room. She didn't see anyone at first and bewildered stepped inside, looking around and calling his name. Her eyes settled on the chair near the window and that was when she noticed the leg sticking out from behind it.

"Mr. Warbucks," she cried, running to him. She knelt down beside him and took one of his hands in her own, patting his face with the other. "Sir, please," she begged, shaking his shoulders. She didn't want to call for anyone, in case she woke up Annie. The girl couldn't go through anymore trauma tonight. And she couldn't just leave him here, lying on the floor, while she went for help. She shook his shoulders again, praying for him to wake up. He stirred a bit under her hand.

"Oliver?" she whispered, as he groaned and opened his eyes. He looked at her for a moment, then tried to sit up. She helped pull him up and into the chair. He sighed and leaned his head back into it, eyes closed. She fussed around him, helping him take off his jacket, loosening his tie, until he finally grabbed her hand and told her he was fine.

"Maybe I should call the doctor," she said, still worried.

"No, no, I'm fine, Miss Farrell," he said, waving off her concern.

"Did you hit your head?" Grace still fluttered around him, feeling his forehead, trying to take his pulse.

"Grace," he said sharply, and she startled at the use of her first name. "I'm fine, please." He indicated the chair across from him and she sank down into it.

"What happened?" she asked. He sighed and rubbed a hand along his jaw.

"I'm not sure, I," Oliver paused, then waved a hand as if to say it wasn't a big deal. "Nothing, I'm just tired from the events of the day."

"Sir, you fainted," Grace emphasized.

"I'm fine," Oliver insisted. "I'll just go to bed and I'll be right as rain in the morning." Grace looked at him doubtfully for a few moments more, then rose from her chair.

"All right sir, good night then," Grace moved toward the door, but paused as she reached it and looked back. Mr. Warbucks was staring off into the distance, sadness in his eyes. Grace was sure there was more bothering him than he was admitting, but she doubted he would ever speak to her about it. A few hours ago, she might have thought differently, but now, she shook her head reaching for the door. But, still, she couldn't just leave him like this without at least trying to talk to him. She turned, mind made up, when she heard him speak, so quietly she didn't hear what he said at first.

"What was that, sir?" she asked, walking back toward him.

"I said, I almost lost her today," he said, looking down at his hands. His voice was so quiet, and sounded so defeated, Grace's breath caught.

"But you didn't," she said softly, reaching out to touch him, then thinking better of it and pulling her hand back.

"No, I didn't," he agreed, but his smile was sad. "But I could have. I don't know what I would do if," he stopped, clearly overcome and put his head in his hands. Grace went to him, kneeling in front of him, putting a hand on his arm.

"She's fine now and she's yours," she said with conviction, reaching up to take a hand away from his face. Grace gasped at his expression, she had never seen this strong, hard, no-nonsense man look so anguished. It made her heart melt, all intention to keep her distance forgotten. As she grasped his hand and he looked up at her, softly at first, as he raised a hand toward her face. Grace held her breath, expecting a soft caress of her cheek and looked deeply into Oliver's eyes. He stopped then, lowered his hand and stood abruptly, a neutral expression on his face. Grace sighed, then stood herself, avoiding eye contact with him.

"Yes, well," he began, looking uncomfortable and fidgeting with his shirt cuff. "Perhaps you're right, Miss Farrell. I intend to get started on the official adoption in the morning, in any case." Grace nodded, crossing the room to the door, still avoiding looking at him.

"Miss Farrell," Mr. Warbucks called as she reached the door. Grace turned slowly, focusing on a point past his shoulder.

"Yes, sir?" she asked.

"Since it is so late, please take the morning off tomorrow. We can get started on the factory after lunch." Grace nodded and let herself out of the room. She closed the door quietly behind her, took a deep breath and slowly walked back to her room.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N - Disclaimer - I do not own Annie or any of its characters.**

Grace arose early the next morning, as was her custom, regardless of the little sleep she had gotten the night before. She dressed quickly, intent on getting to the kitchen, a strong cup of coffee the only thing on her mind. The house was quiet as she made her way to the kitchen, those on the staff that were already at work moving through their tasks in silence, as if to allow their young mistress as much time as possible in restful slumber. Nevertheless, every face had a smile for Grace as she passed by, all delighted that Annie had come home to stay. Grace couldn't help but smile back, her own heartache notwithstanding, she was overjoyed herself at Annie's return.

She arrived at the dining room, the table not yet set for breakfast, it was rather early after all. Grace entered the kitchen, preferring the bustle of Mrs. Pugh and her staff to the quiet opulence of the dining room. At this hour though, Mrs. Pugh was alone in the kitchen.

"Grace," Mrs. Pugh exclaimed in surprise. "I didn't expect to see you up this early. It was a rather late night, was it not?" She glanced quickly at Grace, giving her a wink, before turning back to the biscuits she was rolling out on the counter.

Grace had long considered Helen Pugh her surrogate mother. The jolly cook had taken Grace under her wing from the first day Grace had arrived at the mansion to work for Mr. Warbucks. They'd had many early morning, and a few late-night, conversations in this very kitchen, about all sorts of things. While it had come as a bit of a shock to Grace at first, that Mrs. Pugh had guessed as to Grace's feelings toward Mr. Warbucks, it wasn't really a surprise once Grace had thought about it. Helen seemed to have a sixth-sense about Grace, there was nothing Grace could hide from her. And Mr. Warbucks' behavior towards Grace before Annie's kidnapping, had been a main topic of their talks these past few days.

Grace tried to put a smile on her face, planning to give a vague response to Helen's question, when Helen turned around, a frown on her face.

"Grace, what is it?" Helen asked, seeing the expression on Grace's face. Grace shook her head wryly, she should have known she wouldn't be able to hide anything from Helen.

"It's nothing, Helen," Grace responded, not yet ready to admit how hurt she was, even to Helen. "Mr. Warbucks needs to concentrate on Annie right now, that's all." She waved a hand absent-mindedly, walking toward the stove and the coffee pot. As she passed by, Helen placed a restraining hand on her arm.

"What on earth happened to your hand?" Mrs. Pugh gasped, turning Grace's palm upward. Grace grimaced and looked away, not trusting herself to speak. Mrs. Pugh mistook Grace's expression for pain.

"Does it hurt that much?" Mrs. Pugh asked, concerned now. "Maybe you should see a doctor." Grace just shook her head. Helen looked at her puzzled for a moment, then seemed to fit the pieces together.

"Grace," she said quietly and while Grace tried valiantly, she could no longer keep her emotions in check. Her lip began to quiver and as her eyes filled, she found herself swept into the older woman's embrace. Grace sobbed quietly into her shoulder, as Helen patted her back soothingly. After a few minutes, Grace recovered herself, not wanting them to be discovered by another member of the staff who would start arriving shortly.

"I'm sorry Helen," Grace apologized, her face reddening. "I'll just get my coffee and go. I need to start working on some things for the Pittsburgh plant."

"You will do no such thing," Helen insisted and she led Grace to the kitchen table. "Sit down, I'll get your coffee and then we'll talk."

"But, breakfast," Grace protested. "You need to," but Mrs. Pugh interrupted before Grace could finish.

"Nonsense," Helen waved off Grace's objections as she poured her a cup of coffee. "Mr. Warbucks already sent down for a tray and that little girl will sleep for another few hours, I daresay. I thought I might be feeding the other girls this morning, but the police took them back to the orphanage last night." Grace nodded, briefly wondering why Mr. Warbucks had sent down for a tray instead of coming to the dining room. Before she could contemplate it further, Helen sat down beside her, her own cup of coffee in front of her.

"Now, tell me what happened," Helen said, taking a sip of her coffee. Grace sighed and then relayed the events of the previous day and Mr. Warbucks' constant change in behavior towards her. By the time she was finished, Grace was even more confused than she had been about what was, or wasn't, going on between the two of them. Helen clucked her tongue and shook her head as Grace finished her story.

"Let me tell you something about Oliver Warbucks," Helen began, taking Grace's injured hand in the two of hers, patting the back of it. "I've worked for the man for a very long time and I've learned a few things over the years. All his bluster, that temper and his stubbornness, they're all just a cover. He's just as vulnerable and full of self-doubt as the rest of us, when it comes to love." Grace gaped at Helen, unsure if they were talking about the same man. Mr. Warbucks, vulnerable? Insecure? But then, she remembered the anguished look as he talked about almost losing Annie and the way his knees had buckled at the railroad bridge and wondered. Helen smiled as she watched the realization cross Grace's face.

"Just be patient, dear," Helen said, patting Grace's hand again and rising to finish making her biscuits. "He'll come around."

* * *

><p>Grace left the kitchen a half hour later, after two cups of coffee and some breakfast, intending to head to the office, to get some things organized before she and Mr. Warbucks started work on the Pittsburgh plant. There were plans she knew he would want to look at, as well as the financial information from the last year.<p>

As she passed the door to the back terrace, however and looked outside, the gardens seemed to call to her. She hesitated, then decided a morning walk was just what she needed. Mr. Warbucks had told her to take the morning off, after all.

As she strolled down the path through the flower beds and rosebushes, Grace's mind was full of her conversation with Mrs. Pugh. Grace paused near the fountain in the center of the gardens, sitting down on a stone bench, contemplating the water. It was true that she had seen more of Mr. Warbucks', she guessed she could call it vulnerable, side in the last few days. She just had a hard time picturing him being scared of anything, let alone her of all people. Although, it wasn't exactly her that he was scared of, just his feelings toward her, she supposed. Grace wondered how much of that had to do with the fact that Mr. Warbucks might actually be nervous about falling in love with someone, and how much had to do with being nervous of falling in love with her. She was his secretary, after all, and people would talk, wondering what their relationship had been over the years. The fact that she actually lived in the same house as him, didn't help matters. Grace shook her head at the cattiness of society, wondering if it would be better if they just remained employer and employee.

But Helen's advice to just be patient, rang in her ears. Grace was nothing, if not patient. She had managed to carry a torch for Mr. Warbucks for all of these years without doing anything about it, she supposed she could continue to wait. Mind made up, Grace rose and began walking back toward the house. No more tears, she vowed, as she climbed the terrace steps. If things were meant to be between the two of them, they would be. The ball was in Mr. Warbucks' court now, Grace was finished pursuing him.

* * *

><p>Oliver sat at his desk, phone in hand, trying to summon the courage to call the governor and have the official adoption papers for Annie drawn up. It wasn't that he didn't want to adopt her, on the contrary, he wanted nothing more. But, the events of last night still tugged at his mind and his heart. To think that he had almost lost Annie, not once, but twice in the same evening, he shivered a little remembering the scene at the bridge. In fact, he had seen it in his mind all night, just one of the reasons for his lack of sleep and early arrival in his office.<p>

He was being a coward, he knew it. He would no more turn that little girl out onto the street than give up his fortune. But he couldn't help but feel that she deserved someone else, someone better than him. He knew he would have help from Miss Farrell and the rest of the staff, but he was a very busy man, how could he give a young girl what she needed? Business trips, society events, late-night and early-morning meetings, all the work and time that went along with running an empire such as his, was sure to affect Annie eventually. And then, of course, there were his own issues with allowing himself to open his heart to someone else. That thought scared him more than anything.

Oliver shook his head and sighed. It always came back to Grace, no matter how hard he tried not to let it. It was hopeless, he knew, he was in love with her, completely and wholly in love with her. For all of his trying to put up a front and pretend that he didn't feel the way he did, he was hopeless. And why, why was he fighting against this so hard? Because he was afraid? Ridiculous, when he really thought about it. Why would he give up something as wonderful as a family, just because of a little fear?

No, he wanted Annie to be his daughter, he knew he did. And he wanted Grace in his life as well, as more than just his secretary. So things had happened in his past and he had tried his hardest to make himself immune to the pull of love, but he couldn't deny it any longer. He wanted a family. He wanted Annie and he wanted Grace. All this namby-pamby nonsense needed to stop. He was Oliver Warbucks, for god's sake, he needed to start acting as such. Mind made up, Oliver picked up the phone and called the governor, his normal demeanor back in place.

* * *

><p>Grace entered the office, just as Mr. Warbucks hung up the phone.<p>

"Good morning, sir," Grace said, nodding at him as she went to her desk and sat down, pulling a few files from the drawer.

"Gra- Miss Farrell," Mr. Warbucks returned, seeming startled to see her there. "I thought I gave you the morning off."

"Yes, sir, you did," Grace agreed. "But, since I was up early, I thought I might get a start on those Pittsburgh files." She continued to pull the files she needed from her drawer. She could feel Mr. Warbucks' eyes on her, but went on with her work, a businesslike expression on her face. Grace opened the financial file she had pulled from the stack, intent on pulling together the numbers Mr. Warbucks would need for the reorganization. She knew he was watching her, it took everything in her not to look up at him, or go to him or, something. But her earlier conviction reestablished itself and she went on with her work, pretending to be oblivious to his staring.

The two of them worked in silence for a few moments before Mr. Warbucks cleared his throat. Grace looked up at him, an expectant look on her face.

"Yes, sir?" she said.

"I was just on the phone with the governor," he replied. "He promised to expedite the adoption as quickly as possible. Should be done by the end of the week." He watched her for her reaction, but Grace simply smiled genuinely.

"That's wonderful, sir," Grace replied. "Annie will be so pleased."

"Yes, I was thinking," Mr. Warbucks began, rising from his desk and walking toward the window. He seemed not quite sure what to do with himself. "Perhaps we should do something to commemorate the occasion, some kind of party maybe." Grace pursed her lips in thought. Saturday was the 4th of July, they could combine the party with the holiday, maybe with some type of theme.

"What about a circus, sir?" Grace asked. "Annie told me that she had always wanted to see one. We could have all kinds of circus acts, refreshments, invite Annie's friends from the orphanage. It could be Saturday, on the 4th. We could have fireworks as well." Grace's mind was whirling with ideas, things she knew Annie would love.

"That sounds wonderful, Miss Farrell," Mr. Warbucks said, beaming at her. "Why don't you get started on that this morning. The factory can wait."

"All right sir, I'll start with the guest list and have it to you by this afternoon for your approval," Grace said, smiling herself.

"I have complete faith in your judgement, Miss Farrell," Mr. Warbucks replied, giving her a genuine look of affection, a look that didn't go unnoticed by Grace.

"Plan as you see fit, money is no object," he insisted, Grace nodded, then pulled paper and pen from her desk, beginning to make a list. As soon as Mr. Warbucks had gone back to his desk and started on his own work, a grin split Grace's face. Maybe she wouldn't have to be so patient after all.

* * *

><p>Oliver contemplated his secretary as she went about her work. Busying herself with the new preparations for Annie's party, she didn't seem to notice him watching her. She seemed different this morning, the sadness and hurt he had seen in her last night were gone, replaced with businesslike efficiency. He sat back in his chair, pondering this development and wondering what had brought it about. The party was surely part of it, he knew she was excited about making everything perfect for Annie. But Oliver had noticed the difference when Grace had first come into the room, before he had even mentioned the party.<p>

After everything that had happened the night before, Oliver was almost positive that Grace returned his feelings. Which is what had made it all the harder to try and reestablish their previous working relationship. But this morning, things seemed to have gone back to business as usual, and he was unnerved by it. Especially after his decision earlier to forget about fear and go and get what he wanted.

He wondered if her change of heart had anything to do with her being his secretary. People would talk, if he and Grace started a relationship. Society was nothing if not a tiger, ready to pounce on the first victims that strayed from the straight and narrow path of expectations. One of those expectations being that billionaires did not fall in love with their secretaries. Oliver didn't care what other people thought of him, he knew the talk that went on behind his back about his ruthlessness and temper, what was one more juicy tidbit for the gossipmongers to chew on. But he wouldn't want Grace, no Miss Farrell, to be compromised in any way because of his actions. Perhaps she had thought of this herself, and that was why she had pulled back.

Oliver thought about it a bit more, then made up his mind. If Miss Farrell preferred to go back to their original working relationship, then that is what they would do. The ball was in her court now, he wouldn't pursue her, unless she gave him some indication that she had changed her mind.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N - So sorry for the delay, my laptop crashed last week and I finally got it back today. Only one more chapter left after this, hope you enjoy! **

Over the next few days, Grace was extremely busy, for which she was grateful. It gave her less time to think, well, ruminate was more like it. Despite her vow to go about her business as usual, her thoughts often strayed back to Mr. Warbucks. Grace's earlier optimism, the morning Mr. Warbucks asked her to plan the party, had faded. She was beginning to think that she had misread everything that had happened between them, which unsettled her. She wasn't experienced with men or love by any means, but she didn't think she was that ignorant about it.

Grace appreciated the distraction the party gave her, as Mr. Warbucks had taken to spending either the morning or afternoon each day with Annie. Grace used the extra free time to concentrate on planning the party. But now most of those plans were finished, the party being only two days away. All she had left to do was outfit Annie's friends for the celebration, a task she intended to take care of this afternoon. The girls were all arriving at the mansion the following day, and spending the weekend with Annie.

At least her nights were busy as well. Given the time off he was taking during the day, Grace and Mr. Warbucks worked in the evenings after Annie had gone to bed, often late into the night. Grace was usually so exhausted, she fell asleep almost immediately, for which she was thankful. The tiredness didn't stop her dreaming, however, and she had awoken almost every morning, a blush in her cheeks at what her mind had conjured up during the night. She was grateful for the mornings Mr. Warbucks spent with Annie. It gave Grace more time to compose herself before beginning work with him.

This morning however, had been a different story. She'd woken late, fresh from a dream she couldn't even begin to think about without reddening. She had quickly dressed and readied herself for the day, rushing to the office without even time for breakfast. So distracted had she been, worrying about being late and still trying to push that dream from her mind, that she didn't watch where she was going and slammed straight into Mr. Warbucks right outside the office door.

"Oh," Grace exclaimed, as warm hands grasped her arms to keep her from toppling over.

"Miss Farrell, are you all right?" Mr. Warbucks asked, concern in his voice. As Grace looked up at him, their eyes locked and she found herself unable to respond. Mr. Warbucks had stared at her for a moment, loosening his grip so his hands slid to her elbows. Grace was unsure how long they remained standing there, but the spell was broken by the shrill ringing of the phone in the office.

"I'm sorry sir," Grace said, blushing, as she extricated herself from his grasp and entered the office to answer the phone.

"No harm done, Miss Farrell, no harm done at all," Mr. Warbucks had responded, following her into the office.

* * *

><p>Mr. Warbucks had been quiet and thoughtful since their exchange in the hallway. Grace glanced up at him every few minutes, trying to work out the expression on his face. She began to grow concerned that something was wrong after she had to remind him of his place in his dictation twice, something that never happened.<p>

"Sir," Grace began, when they had finished the last letter. "Is everything all right?"

"Of course, Miss Farrell, why do you ask?" he responded, looking confused.

"Well, you seem a bit," Grace paused, "distracted." Mr. Warbucks pursed his lips, looking thoughtfully at the ceiling.

"Yes, well, I suppose it's just everything that's going on around here," he finally said. At that moment, Annie burst into the room.

"Mr. Warbucks, Miss Farrell," she called, running and giving her new father a hug, then doing the same for Grace. Grace couldn't help grinning at the girl, her enthusiasm was infectious. She glanced at Mr. Warbucks, who wore a grin as well, although his didn't seem to reach his eyes. Grace's brow furrowed, she had noticed similar behavior from him in the past few days. He seemed more hesitant with Annie, and less affectionate than he had been right before and right after the kidnapping. She thought this odd, but before she could think on it further, Annie was pulling on her hand.

"I take it this means it's time for lunch," Grace chuckled as she rose to her feet.

"Yes," Annie said, continuing to pull Grace by the hand. "And then Mr. Warbucks is going to play tennis with me. He promised." She smiled at him and he smiled back, genuinely this time.

"So I did, so I did," Mr. Warbucks replied. "Well, we better get to lunch then, hadn't we." He winked at Annie, took her by the hand and the three of them walked to the dining room together, Grace's earlier worries forgotten.

* * *

><p>Grace returned from her shopping trip, she and the Asp laden with packages which he helped her carry to her room. She gave him her thanks and then went to search for Annie, eager to show her the treasures Grace had found. As it was almost dinner time, Grace went to Annie's room assuming the girl would be there reading, as had become her custom.<p>

Grace knocked lightly on the partially opened door and entered to find Annie sprawled on her bed, book open in front of her. Grace smiled as the girl looked up at her.

"Did you have a good afternoon, Annie?" Grace asked. Annie hesitated for the merest of moments, but it was long enough for Grace to notice.

"Oh, yes, Mr. Warbucks and I played three games of tennis and I even beat him once," she smiled, but it wasn't the full-face, joyful smile Grace was used to from the little girl. Grace frowned, puzzled by the exchange, but before she could say anything, Annie jumped up and took her hand.

"Is it time for dinner? I'm starved," Annie said. Grace chuckled.

"Yes, let's go down, shall we?" And the two of them walked down to the dining room.

Grace and Annie were alone in the dining room, Drake explaining that Mr. Warbucks had sent down for a sandwich, intending to catch up on some paperwork. Grace's brow furrowed at this information. She wasn't sure what Mr. Warbucks would need to work on, they had finished nearly everything pertaining to the Pittsburgh factory, Grace just needed to type up a few last letters. And all the normal day-to-day work had been taken care of this morning. She would have to go and check with him after dinner to see if there was anything he needed her to do.

Annie was much quieter than usual while she ate her dinner, glancing every so often at the doorway to the dining room, as if she expected someone to materialize there. Grace frowned again, remembering the girl's reaction to Grace's question about her afternoon. Deciding to try and get Annie's mind off whatever was troubling her, Grace brought up the party.

"Are you excited to see your friends tomorrow?" Grace asked. Annie glanced up at her, then back down at her plate.

"Oh, yeah, sure I am," Annie replied, without much enthusiasm.

"Annie, is there something wrong? Are you nervous about seeing your friends again? Or is it something about the party?" Grace was concerned now, unsure if she had done the right thing in inviting the other girls from the orphanage. Perhaps they brought up too many bad memories for Annie.

"No, it's not that," Annie said, still looking down at the table. Grace reached across the table and cupped a hand under Annie's chin, raising her head up so Grace could see her face. Grace gasped at the expression of sadness on Annie's face, then saw the tears in her eyes. Without any further thought, Grace got up and went around the table, gathering the little girl into her arms.

"Annie, what is it?" Grace asked quietly, Annie crying silently into her shoulder.

"Do, d'you think, Mr. Warbucks still wants to adopt me?" Annie finally said into Grace's shoulder.

"Of course he does," Grace insisted, smoothing the little girl's hair. "Why would you ask such a thing?" Annie sat up on Grace's lap and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"It's just," she paused, as if unsure how to explain it. "He seems different lately. He hasn't been laughing as much and he doesn't give me as many hugs. He smiles, but it's not a real smile." She trailed off, shrugging her shoulders, looking down at her hands in her lap.

Grace bit her lip. She had noticed many of the same things and wished she had followed through on talking to Mr. Warbucks about it. It didn't seem to Grace that Annie had noticed, she was still her normal bubbly self whenever Mr. Warbucks was around, but perhaps that had been Annie's way of coping with his abrupt change in behavior.

"Don't you worry, dear," Grace said, hugging Annie to her. "Mr. Warbucks has just been very busy with a big project we've been working on. I'm sure he's just a bit distracted. He loves you, don't forget that." Annie nodded, seeming to accept this explanation and went happily back to her dessert. Grace breathed a sigh of relief and vowed to talk to her boss after Annie went to bed.

* * *

><p>Oliver sat in his office, uneaten sandwich still on its plate, the final adoption papers laid out on the desk in front of him. His elbows were propped on his desk, hands clasped in front of him, chin resting on top of them. He stared out the window unseeingly, deep in thought. The papers had arrived yesterday by special messenger and he had yet to sign them. The self-doubt that had he had managed to push to the back of his mind most of the week, had crept further and further to the forefront, until it had all but taken over.<p>

Oliver was being ridiculous, he knew this, but something wouldn't allow him to sign. He knew he had cooled his affections toward Annie and was quite sure that others had started to notice. He had seen the frown on Miss Farrell's face this afternoon when Annie came to get them for lunch. Oliver was even concerned that Annie had started to notice. She was quiet and subdued as they walked back to the house after their tennis games, but when he asked her about it, she had told him that she was just tired.

And now he was hiding from them, both Miss Farrell and Annie, hiding like a coward in his office. Although he was almost positive that Miss Farrell would know he had no work to do when Drake informed her of Oliver's absence. Oliver fully expected an inquisition from his secretary, just as soon as Annie was in bed. He smiled ruefully at the thought, just another thing about Miss Farrell that he admired. She was nothing if not protective of those she loved.

Oliver sighed as a great melancholy overtook him. He had been thinking about Davey quite often in the last few days. Most likely because Annie reminded Oliver so very much of him. He knew this was the biggest reason for his hesitation. Things had improved a great deal since he was a child, and were made better still by the large fortune available to him should anything happen, but children still died everyday from diseases or accidents and there was nothing their parents could do about it. The pain he felt from the loss of his brother so very long ago, was still as poignant and deep as it had been the day it happened. Probably from refusing to deal with it all this time, he thought ironically.

Burying his feelings all these years meant he had become an unfeeling, hard and callous man. The need to show genuine emotion towards Annie and still keep the pain from his past bottled up had become a very precise balancing act on the very thinnest of wires. One that he wasn't sure he could continue to maintain. One that he was positive he could not continue to maintain if he let anyone else in. Still, none of this was Annie's fault and Oliver knew he would never give her up. He would just have to try harder. Sitting up straight, Oliver pulled a pen from his desk, signing his name with resolve.

* * *

><p>Mr. Warbucks did not appear after dinner, nor did he leave word that he required Grace's presence in his office. Grace spent the evening with Annie, showing her all the purchases from the day and laughing and giggling with her at Grace's dressing table. Grace helped Annie get ready for bed and still Mr. Warbucks did not appear. Grace was concerned, but put on a happy face for Annie, reassuring the girl that Mr. Warbucks was simply trying to finish up the rest of his work in order to be able to spend the weekend with her and her friends. Annie seemed convinced and snuggled happily into her bed, with a hug and a kiss from Grace.<p>

Her young charge put to bed and sleeping soundly, Grace went in search of Mr. Warbucks in order to talk to him about what had happened at dinner earlier. She absentmindedly chewed on her lower lip as she tried to decide how to approach him without sounding accusatory. Maybe there really was a problem with work and he hadn't involved Grace thinking she was too busy planning the party. That must be it, she decided. Why else would he be avoiding his daughter? Grace walked purposefully towards the office, intent on getting to the bottom of things.

Coming down the hall, Grace noticed the door to Mr. Warbucks' office slightly ajar and she knocked lightly as she peeked in the door. Mr. Warbucks was not at his desk, nor pacing the floor as he often did when struggling with a problem that needed solving. Grace stepped into the office, thinking that maybe he had retired for the night, when she caught sight of him lying on the couch. He had removed his jacket and shoes and loosened his tie. One arm behind his head and legs crossed at the ankles, he was asleep, snoring softly. Grace looked at him, so peaceful in his slumber, and smiled. She crossed quietly to the chest at the end of the couch, pulling out a light blanket and draping it over him. She brushed a finger, whisper soft, over his cheek and turned to walk quietly out of the room, not noticing the small smile that graced his lips as she turned.

* * *

><p>Grace lay in bed, vainly reaching for sleep which seemed to slip from her grasp every time she thought she had it. Thoughts of the coming party, Annie's friends' arrival and Mr. Warbucks' attitude crossed her mind, one thought after another, like jackrabbits fleeing from a predator. She sighed loudly as she looked at her bedside clock which read midnight. Grace sat up in bed, swinging her legs over the side. Perhaps some tea, she thought, standing and slipping her feet into slippers, grabbing her robe which lay across the chair and pulling it on as she left her room.<p>

She made her way quietly to the kitchen, only turning on the light over the stove as she reached it. She set the kettle to boil while she took a cup and saucer from the cabinet and a spoon from the drawer. She pulled a tin of her favorite tea from the cabinet and waited for the water. She pulled it from the burner, just as it began to whistle, so as not to disturb Mrs. Pugh, whose quarters adjoined the kitchen. She mixed her tea and sat at the table, taking a small sip. Realizing she was a bit hungry as well, Grace rose and went to the pantry, to look for the tea biscuits she knew Mrs. Pugh kept there.

As Grace opened the door, she noticed that the knob seemed a bit loose. Making a mental note to speak to Drake about it in the morning, Grace turned on the light and scanned the shelves for the tea biscuits. She saw them in the far left corner on the third shelf and stepped into the pantry, the door swinging closed behind her. She pulled down the package of biscuits and turned to go back into the kitchen. She grabbed the knob and turned, but the knob just wiggled in her hand, looser than the one outside. Grace tried it again, to no avail. She pushed in on the knob, hoping to brace it enough to be able to release the latch, but it didn't budge. She jiggled it a bit more, but it was useless, the knob was too loose to turn. She was trapped in the pantry.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N - This chapter is much longer than the previous ones, there just didn't seem to be a good place to cut it. And I know I said this would be the last chapter, but apparently Oliver and Grace had alot more to say than I thought! One or maybe two chapters left after this one, depends on how wordy I get! :)**

Grace blew out a breath in frustration, crossing her arms in front of her. She had knocked at the door and called for Mrs. Pugh, knowing all the while it was a waste of time, Helen slept so soundly nothing short of an explosion would awaken her until she popped out of bed at 5AM, ready to begin her busy day in the kitchens. Perhaps when Punjab or the Asp made their late-night rounds, they would notice the kitchen light on and come to investigate. But it was highly likely they had already done their check, as the household had all been in bed early this evening. She had searched the pantry for a screwdriver or something she could use as one, to no avail. Which meant only one thing, Grace was spending the night in the pantry.

"It's a good thing I'm not claustrophobic," Grace said aloud. The pantry was large, but not overly so. The rows of shelves filled with boxes and sacks and jars made it seem smaller. Grace sat down on the floor and leaned back against a sack of flour with a resigned sigh. Nothing to do but wait until morning she thought, trying to get comfortable on the hard floor. It was a bit chilly in just her thin nightgown and robe and she drew her legs up toward her, wrapping her arms around them. She laid her head down on her knees, yawning widely. Grace had not expected to be able to sleep in such a position, but exhaustion eventually won out and sleep she did.

* * *

><p>Oliver awoke with a start, still on the couch in his office. He looked down at the blanket covering him, confused. He didn't remember pulling it out of the chest when he had laid down to rest for a few minutes. Mrs. Greer, he decided. She must have come to take his plate back to the kitchen and found him asleep. Oliver yawned and looked at his desk, hoping the sandwich was still there, as he was quite hungry. The plate was gone however, and as he looked up at the large grandfather clock in the room, he saw that it was after one o'clock in the morning. He stood and grabbed his jacket and shoes, intending to go to bed, but his stomach growled loudly. Oliver sighed, knowing he would never sleep on an empty stomach, so he put his shoes on and shrugged back into his jacket for a trip to the kitchen to make a sandwich.<p>

Oliver walked silently to the kitchen, not wanting to wake the sleeping household. As he entered, he noticed the light on above the stove, but thought nothing of it. Mrs. Pugh often left it on the nights he hadn't eaten a proper dinner. She knew he would most likely make his way to the kitchen for a snack before retiring. Oliver went to the refrigerator and pulled out left over roast beef, lettuce and tomato, plus the spicy brown mustard he liked. He opened the bread box, but it was empty. He turned to the pantry to get a fresh loaf and noticed the cup of tea on the table. Odd, he thought, his brow furrowed, Mrs. Pugh never left dirty dishes lying around. He shrugged, figuring one of the household staff had come down in the night for a cup and forgotten to set it in the sink when they were finished. Oliver opened the pantry, noticing that the knob was loose and made a mental note to speak to Drake about it in the morning. The sight that met his eyes, was not one he expected, however, and startled, he took a step into the pantry and let the door shut behind him.

* * *

><p>Grace slowly drifted into consciousness, aware that there were sounds coming from somewhere, but she was not awake enough to process where she was, let alone what she was hearing. Her legs were cramped and there was a kink in her neck. And why was she sitting on the floor, a very hard floor at that? She shook her head, trying to remember where she was and what had happened when the door in front of her opened. A very startled Oliver Warbucks stood staring at her, and as she finally came fully awake and realized what had happened, he took a step inside the pantry.<p>

"Mr. Warbucks, don't let the," Grace began, but before she could finish the door closed behind him with a resounding click. "Door shut behind you," Grace finished quietly.

"Miss Farrell, what on earth are you doing in here?" Mr. Warbucks asked.

"The same thing you are, spending the night," Grace said ruefully.

"What?" Mr. Warbucks looked around confused, then tried to turn the knob on the door. Looking perplexed when it didn't turn, he jiggled it, then tried to force it open as she had. Grace watched him for a few moments, smiling in amusement. When he turned and looked helplessly at her, she masked a laugh by giving a small cough.

"Did you notice the knob was loose outside?" she asked.

"Of course, I intended to speak to Drake about it in the morning," Mr. Warbucks answered. At this, Grace couldn't contain herself and laughed out loud. Mr. Warbucks looked at her as if she'd gone mad.

"I'm sorry sir," she said, trying to get herself under control. "It's just that I had the very same thought, right before I got myself locked in here." She smiled and Mr. Warbucks looked at her strangely for a moment, then chuckled himself.

"Yes, well, I suppose it is a bit ironic, isn't it," he said, smiling. "Did you try to wake up Mrs. Pugh?"

"Of course, but you know as well as I that she sleeps far too soundly," Grace answered with a smile.

"Yes, you're definitely right about that," he chuckled again. "Maybe there's a screwdriver or something around here we can use to try and tighten up the knob." He began to search the shelves, looking for a suitable tool. Grace shook her head, watching him.

"Believe me, sir, there's nothing," she said. "I've already searched." She sighed, suddenly very tired again. She leaned back against the flour sack and closed her eyes. "Unfortunately, I think we're stuck here until morning."

* * *

><p>Oliver watched Grace, no Miss Farrell, oh hell, Grace, as she leaned up against the sack of flour, eyes closed, legs stretched out in front of her, clad in nothing but her nightgown and thin silk robe. His eyes roamed from the crown of her head to the bottoms of her feet and back again, unable to look away, breath momentarily failing him. She must have sensed him staring, as she cracked open one eye and looked up at him. Conscious of his scrutiny, she pulled her robe more tightly around her and crossed her arms in front of her. Oliver, brought out of his reverie, cleared his throat and looked away. Feeling restless, he began to pace back and forth the length of the pantry. After a few turns round the small space, he glanced back at Grace and noticed her shiver.<p>

"Are you cold?" he asked, stopping his pacing.

"No, I'm fine, really," Grace said with a small smile.

"Nonsense," he replied, taking off his jacket. "Here." Oliver walked over and knelt in front of her, draping the jacket over her shoulders. His hands lingered on her shoulders, as Grace looked into his eyes. He wanted to pull away, but couldn't seem to force his legs to work. His breathing had become shallow and he could feel the pounding of his heart. His hand, which seemed to be moving of its own accord, came to rest along the side of her neck, his thumb ran slowly down the line of her jaw. Grace drew in a breath and shuddered slightly, effectively breaking the spell. Oliver rocked back on his heels and stood, looking down at her.

"I'm sorry, I," he hesitated, unsure what to say. Shaking his head, he turned and moved to the far corner of the pantry, his back to Grace. He scrubbed a hand over his face and ran a finger under his collar which suddenly seemed entirely too tight. He risked a glance back at Grace, who was sitting motionless, staring straight ahead of her as if he were still there. Oliver watched her bring a finger to her jaw and follow the path his thumb had taken. Then she seemed to come back to herself for she shook her head a bit and began to turn towards him. He faced away from her quickly, not wanting to meet her eye, afraid of what he might see there.

* * *

><p>Grace turned to look at Oliver, he had somehow become Oliver again in her mind, but he twisted away from her quickly, as if he didn't want her to know he'd been watching her. She smiled quietly to herself, thinking again of her conversation with Helen about being patient. She decided to act as if nothing had happened and drew the jacket more tightly around her shoulders. After assuring herself that Oliver was no longer looking at her, she turned her head and breathed deeply into his lapel. The fragrance that was uniquely Oliver assaulted her nose and Grace smiled, then leaned back against the flour sack and closed her eyes once more.<p>

A few minutes later, she heard the telltale sound of Oliver's pacing once again. There was a loose floorboard near the door and every time Oliver reached it, it made an annoying squeak. After the tenth pass, Grace had had quite enough. She stood to stop him, putting a hand on his arm, startling him.

"Sir, please, why don't you sit?" she said, indicating a spot across from her. Oliver looked sheepish, then tried to arrange himself on the floor, clearly having difficulty finding a comfortable position. They sat in silence for a few moments, and Grace began thinking about Annie and what she had planned to discuss with him earlier that evening. Deciding that now was as good a time as any, she took a deep breath and began.

"Sir, I wanted to talk to you about something that Annie said to me at dinner tonight," Grace said, glancing up at him.

"What did she say?" Oliver asked, brow furrowing. Grace paused, not sure how to phrase it, but decided honesty was probably the best.

"Well, she had been rather quiet, all through dinner and so I asked her what was wrong," Grace began.

"Yes, I noticed the same thing after our tennis match. She told me she was just tired," Oliver answered, looking a bit concerned.

"It took a little while, but she finally told me she was afraid you didn't want to adopt her anymore," Grace bit her lip and glanced up at her boss, gauging his reaction. He looked shocked, then guilty, but he covered that look quickly.

"Why would she think that?" he asked, swallowing visibly.

"Apparently, she feels that you've been less affectionate lately, and you don't seem as happy when she's around," Grace stopped, unsure if she should voice her own concerns. She took a deep breath and decided to plunge ahead. "I've noticed it too sir," she said, quickly, before she lost her courage. Oliver didn't respond and she feared she had overstepped her bounds, their recent interlude notwithstanding. When she looked up at him, he stood and faced away from her again, hands clasped behind his back. She watched while he seemed to have some inner struggle with himself and almost went to him, but in the end remained where she was, waiting.

* * *

><p>It had happened, Oliver thought, he had slipped from the emotional tightrope he had been walking and into the abyss. Annie thought he didn't want her, his heart broke at the thought of hurting his little girl more than she already had been. He had suspected Grace had noticed his change in behavior, but had held out hope that Annie, in her everlasting exuberance, had not. But he was wrong, Annie had noticed. He felt his secretary watching him, but couldn't bring himself to meet her eye. What must she think of him, hurting his daughter so?<p>

And there was the crux of it, wasn't it? Annie was his daughter, in every way that mattered, regardless of the fact that someone else's blood ran through her veins. Oliver loved her, more than he knew how to express, more than he knew how to say, more than he knew how to feel even. But how could he do it? He didn't know how to be a father, he didn't know what to do, how to act, what to say. Was it fair to Annie to give her to someone who was an inept as he? Was it fair for her to have to doubt him, wonder if he really wanted her, wonder if she really owned a piece of his heart? When in fact, she owned all of his heart and more, though he wasn't sure how that were possible. But Oliver knew that she did.

Yet every time he had these doubts and every time he made the decision to ignore them and move on with things, every time he thought he had conquered this mountain, he found that it was a false summit, and the doubt and fear crept back in. How many times could he do this before everyone left him for good? He had no idea how Grace felt anymore and the thought of that pierced his heart like an arrow. He had no idea how much patience Annie had for his shortcomings. She was merely a child, for goodness sake, he couldn't keep her in limbo like this. His once orderly, controlled and predictable life had become erratic, chaotic and utterly confusing. Oliver's iron hold on his emotions was slowing loosening it's grip and he was floundering, a feeling he despised and feared all at the same time.

Failure was not something Oliver was used to. He didn't fail, he did something, made a plan, devised a strategy. But for all he searched, nothing in all his business dealings had prepared him to deal with a situation like this. He was utterly lost, drowning with no lifeboat, water as far as his eye could see. The realization came down upon him like a hammer, he leaned forward and braced himself against one of the shelves, head hanging, shoulders slumped. He had failed, Annie, Grace, himself. He had failed them all.

* * *

><p>Grace watched as Oliver stared into nothingness, his hands clenching and unclenching behind his back, his jaw working, the vein in his temple throbbing and pulsing. She was beginning to worry, afraid of what he was doing to himself inside his head, and she quietly rose, to go to him if need be. He seemed to go rigid for a moment and Grace took a step forward, afraid he was going to collapse, when he leaned forward and hung his head. A posture so defeated, so hopeless, so <strong>not<strong> Oliver, that she gasped and hurried to his side.

As she came up beside him, Grace could see that Oliver's eyes were closed and his teeth were clenched. He was gripping the shelf so hard, Grace was afraid he would pull it down on himself. She brought a hand to his arm and squeezed it gently, but still he did not relax his posture, nor look at her.

"Sir, what is it?" Grace asked quietly. Oliver simply shook his head, the look of hopelessness even deeper than before. Grace bit her lip, then made up her mind. Promises to keep her distance forgotten, patience be damned, Oliver needed her and she was going to help him.

"Oliver," she said tentatively and she saw his jaw twitch in response to her use of his first name. "Oliver, please talk to me. Let me help you." He didn't move, didn't look at her, only let out the deepest of sighs.

"I don't know if you can," he said quietly. "I don't know if anyone can."

"Let me try at least," Grace replied. Oliver sighed again, but relaxed his hold on the shelf and stood up. He looked at her for a moment, then walked to the other end of the pantry.

"I'm not cut out for this, Grace, Annie deserves someone else, someone better," he said. Grace just gaped at him, unsure of what she was hearing, not even noticing he had called her Grace and not Miss Farrell.

"What on earth are you talking about?" she asked.

"Everything, the adoption, Annie, being a father," he answered, throwing up his hands as he did so. "I don't know anything about being a parent, I don't know anything about little girls. How am I going to raise one? I'm too busy, I work all the time, my business has been suffering as it is. Annie should be with someone who has time for her. I can't do it!" he thundered, face red. Grace's jaw dropped, incredulous, then slammed shut in anger at his last words.

"Oliver Warbucks, you stop this rightnow!" she demanded, close to thundering herself. "Annie loves you, she doesn't want anyone else. It would kill her if you sent her away. What's gotten into you?" She crossed her arms in front of her and glared at him, irritation clear on her face. Oliver glared back for a moment, then, looking defeated, slowly slid to the floor, back to the door. He pulled his knees up and rested his elbows on them, his face in his hands.

Grace stood and looked at Oliver with concern. This was not the strong and confident, ruthless businessman that she knew. Something was definitely wrong. She approached him where he sat and kneeled down in front of him. When Oliver continued to ignore her, she reached up and gently pulled both hands away from his face. She was shocked to see tears running down his cheeks.

"Oliver," she said softly. "Tell me what it is, please." Grace brought a hand to his face, gently wiping away a tear with her thumb. Oliver looked up at her, his face so forlorn, she couldn't help but gasp. She went to remove her hand, but he grasped it in his, holding both to his face. He stared at her for a few moments, then released her hand, hanging his head once more.

"It hurts Grace, I'm afraid it hurts too much," he began.

"What does?" Grace asked, confused.

"Loving someone," he said, so quietly Grace almost didn't catch what he said. "Do you remember what you asked me a few days ago? If I only loved money and power and capitalism, because they were never going to love me back?" He looked up at her and she nodded. "True, they can't love me, but they can't hurt me either."

"No, they can't, but what kind of life is that?" Grace asked him quietly. Oliver barked a short laugh.

"A perfect one, I used to think. Sometimes I still do," he added, taking her hand again and pulling them both to their feet. He took a few steps away from her, clasping his hands behind him again, seeming to contemplate the contents of one of the shelves. Grace followed him, placing a hand on his arm. He patted her hand absentmindedly.

"What happened, Oliver?" Grace asked. "What happened that forced you to close your heart off to everyone?" Oliver sighed, looking down at his feet.

* * *

><p>He really didn't want to get into this, despite everything that had happened, he didn't know if he was ready. But Grace deserved an explanation, something to make her understand his erratic behavior these past few days.<p>

"You know about my brother, the one that died because we couldn't afford medicine," he paused, looking at Grace as she nodded. "His name was David, Davey we all called him, and he wasn't my younger brother, he was my twin." Grace gasped and Oliver nodded ruefully.

"Well, technically I guess he was younger, I was born first. But, he was sick quite often from birth, he was always smaller than me, weaker, got tired easier. Most people just assumed he was younger than I, and after awhile, I started to think of him that way too." Oliver paused, lost in his thoughts, remembering. "He was the sweetest child you've ever met. He never complained, never asked for more than he got. All he wanted to do was make everyone around him happy. Annie reminds me a lot of him actually."

"Davey and I were inseparable, the best of friends. I protected him, waited for him when he tired walking home from school, carried him on my back a few times when I had to. He made me laugh all the time, he was always quick with a joke. My friends and I would often go to the park to play baseball. Davey could never play, he got too tired, couldn't run fast enough, but he cheered us on." Oliver smiled and Grace couldn't help but smile with him.

"He was always looking out for our younger brother and sister, and all the other younger children in the neighborhood. They flocked to Davey, he was like some kind of magnet for them. I caught him giving the younger kids his food more than once. I was upset, if anyone needed extra food, it was Davey, not the other way around, but you couldn't stay mad at him. Whenever he got sick, I sat with him, read to him, told him his own jokes, although rather badly, I must admit," Oliver chuckled.

"That last time, when he got pneumonia, we'd had less money for food than usual that week. My father had drank or gambled it all away again. And I knew Davey had been giving most of his food away. I was so angry with him, I told him it was his own fault that he had gotten sick. I didn't talk to him for a few days," Oliver hung his head, clearly ashamed. "Then my mother admitted that we couldn't get the medicine he needed, but I couldn't accept that. I told Davey I would take care of him and then I left and went down to the docks to see if I could get any work." Grace looked surprised at this, Oliver couldn't have been more than ten or eleven at the time.

"I was only ten years old, most people I talked to just laughed at me and walked away. But I was determined and I was strong. I didn't stop asking and finally one of the hands on one of the ships hired me to help unload cargo. I didn't go home, slept a few hours here and there in one of the warehouses, so I could keep working. It took me three days, but I finally earned enough money and went home to tell my mother and Davey. When I got there, Davey was gone, it was too late." Oliver finished quietly, tears making their way down his face once more.

"Oh, Oliver," Grace said, sadly, wrapping an arm around his waist. He pulled her into his arms, clinging to her for all he was worth. She rubbed his back, as she did for Annie after a nightmare, whispering soothing words to him as he calmed himself. When he had composed himself, he let go of her, taking a step back and continued.

"My mother was so angry with me for staying away all that time, I'd never seen her like that before. She had sent my friends out to try and find me, but no one had been able to. She told me Davey asked for me, right before he passed, and she had to tell him I wasn't there. I never forgave myself for that, not being there for him at the end." Oliver had clenched his hands into fists again as he finished. Grace took a step toward him and put a hand against his cheek.

"Oliver, you can't blame yourself for what happened," she insisted. Oliver grimaced at her words and extricated himself from her arms.

"But it was my fault Grace, Davey died alone, without me, because I didn't work hard enough or fast enough." Oliver insisted. Grace looked at him, disbelieving.

"Oliver, you were a child!" she exclaimed. "It wasn't your job to take care of him."

"But it was, Grace, it was what I had always done," Oliver shook his head at Grace's attempt to reassure him. "I always took care of Davey. I took care of all of them. And the one time it really mattered, I couldn't do it. I was so angry after he died, angry at my mother because we were so poor, angry at my father for being a drunk, angry at myself, angry at Davey for dying on me. I promised myself that no one would ever hurt me like that again. I closed off my heart to everyone, even my remaining family, because I couldn't bear that kind of pain again. As soon as I could, I got work on a ship to America and left them all." Oliver stopped and rubbed a hand over his face.

"But, you were a child Oliver," Grace said again. "You've got to stop blaming yourself for something you couldn't have prevented. It wasn't your fault. You did all that you could have, you were ten years old for goodness sake!" Oliver just shook his head and looked ready to argue, but Grace wasn't finished.

"Annie is ten, Oliver," she said. "Would you expect her to go out and try and make money to take care of you. Or me?" Oliver looked at her, taken aback.

"Of course not," he replied, shocked that she had even asked. "She's far too young to do something like that."

"Then why weren't you too young?" Grace asked. "Why did you insist that it was your fault? Why do you keep punishing yourself?" She had stepped closer to him as she spoke and was now mere inches from him. "Why do you keep your heart hidden away from everyone? Surely now as an adult you can see that living without love isn't good for you either. Let Annie help you, Oliver. Let me help you." Grace stood, staring into his eyes and thought for a moment she had convinced him. She raised a hand to touch his cheek, when he shook his head and took a step back from her.

"Don't you see, Grace?" Oliver gripped her arms, holding her away from him. "I don't know how to do it. I don't know how to love anyone. It's been too long and I'm too scared to be hurt like that again. When Annie left, I didn't think I could stand it. And when she was in danger, I don't know how I managed to get through that. And now, even though she's here and safe, I still don't think I can do it. How can I go through something like that again Grace? My heart felt like it was being ripped out of my chest."

"Oliver," Grace began, trying to find a different way to approach the situation and find the words that would calm him and convince him to give love a chance. "Oliver, have you been happy since Annie arrived?"

"Of course I have," he said, sighing, letting go of Grace's arms. "She's filled this place with joy and laughter, happiness and light. I've never been happier."

"Then there's your answer," Grace replied. "You've been happy with Annie here, why would you want to send her away?" Oliver just shook his head.

"I don't want to send her away, but I don't want her to stay here and feel as if I don't want her," he replied.

"Then love her Oliver, love her like I know you can," Grace insisted, now gripping his arms with hers. "You've done it, I've seen it. And Annie has too. She doesn't expect you to be perfect, doesn't expect you to have all the answers. She just wants a father, her father, you." Oliver looked at Grace and the sincerity in her eyes. Perhaps she was right. Perhaps he could do it. Perhaps he could let go of the past as Grace had said. Perhaps he could give love another chance.

As he stood with Grace, looking into her eyes, he realized that all of this worry and all of this fear wasn't really about Annie and loving her properly. It wasn't about being a good father or being hurt again by his daughter, not really. It was about Grace, had always been about her and the possibility of losing her should he follow his feelings. She looked at him so hopefully, he didn't know how to explain that it wasn't really Annie he was worried about losing.

Grace, sensing Oliver's hesitation, decided to take a chance. She couldn't believe that she was about to do this, but caution had been thrown to the wind already, why not take the final step. She slowly slid her hands up his arms until they were settled on his shoulders, then took a step nearer to him, winding her arms around his neck.

"Please Oliver, let me help you. Don't push me away," she pleaded, looking into his eyes. He stared at her for a few moments, it would be so easy to give in, so easy to say yes. But would it be fair to Grace, to ask her to have to put up with his insecurities and his doubts? Oliver reached up and pulled her arms gently from his neck, taking her hands in his.

"Grace, you deserve someone better than me. Someone who can love you with his whole heart and not have any reservations about it. Someone who isn't scared of loving you," he said gently. But Grace was not to be diverted.

"What are you scared of Oliver?" Grace asked quietly. "Are you afraid that Annie and I will break through that shell around your heart completely? I know you're afraid to feel the same kind of pain, but are you afraid to feel joy as well? Love isn't always pretty Oliver, sometimes it's messy and sad and it hurts. But most of the time, it's beauty and laughter, joy and singing, contentment and safety, warmth and comfort, and bliss, pure, heavenly bliss." Grace had stepped closer to him as she spoke, eyes never wavering from his, her hands holding tightly to his own. As she finished speaking she looked at him, love shining in her eyes. Oliver reached up and brushed one finger down her cheek. She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes briefly and then looking back up at him. Oliver stared at her for a moment longer before speaking.

"After I adopt Annie, I'll be her father, for always. But you Grace," he paused, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. His voice was raspy as he continued. "You can change your mind. You can leave." Grace stared at him, incredulous, until he turned from her gaze and went back to the back of the pantry, hands clasped behind his back once again. Grace was rooted to the spot for a moment with the knowledge that Oliver was pushing her away, not because he didn't love her, but because he was afraid he loved her too much. It took her a moment to gather herself, but when she did, she walked up behind him and put a soft hand on his back.

"I'm not going anywhere Oliver," she said. He sighed.

"You feel that way now, but what if you change your mind?" he replied. Grace let go of him and went to stand in front of him. She put her hands on either side of his face and forced him to look at her.

"I'm not going anywhere and I'm not going to change my mind," Grace said, very distinctly. "I love you Oliver Warbucks and I always will. No matter how angry you get, how insane you act, how insecure you are, I love you, and you'll just have to get used to that." She continued to stare at him, daring him to contradict her and deny he felt the same. He looked deep into her eyes and saw the love there and wondered. Could he do it, could he let go once and for all and just feel? And then, the shell around his heart which had been cracking all night, the last piece dangled and fell, leaving his heart bare and exposed. And instead of the pain, instead of the hurt he expected to feel, there was only a little bit of sadness, sadness for his lost brother, which he knew would always be there, but wouldn't continue to rule him like it had. And he found that the pain wasn't so deep anymore and the guilt wasn't so all-encompassing and he sighed. Perhaps Grace was right after all. Then he slowly lowered his head to hers, capturing her lips with his own. He kissed her softly and then looked at her again.

"Why on earth would you want a crazy old man like me?" he asked, smiling. She shrugged a shoulder.

"You've grown on me," she said, a twinkle in her eye. Oliver laughed aloud as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. She looked up at him and he looked back at her, tenderly.

"I love you Grace," he said, smiling.

"I love you Oliver," she replied as he leaned down and kissed her again, more passionately this time. When they parted, Grace lay her head on Oliver's chest, he pulled her closer in to his body, slowly rubbing her back. They stood that way for quite awhile, content in each other's arms. Oliver eventually led Grace to the spot on the floor where she had been sitting before and sat down beside her taking her in his arms. She laid her head on his shoulder, snuggling into his chest.

"I'm sorry Grace," Oliver said, after they had been sitting there for a few minutes. Grace sat up and looked at him bewildered.

"Whatever for?" she asked.

"For putting you through all of this, hurting you, being a fool for so long," he answered and took her hand in his, turning it to look at the cut upon her palm. It was almost completely healed now, there was just a red line where the cut had been. He traced it with his finger, then pressed a gentle kiss to it.

"I'm sorry for this too," he said quietly. "I know it's been hurting you this week, while you've been writing." He looked at her sadly and she caressed his cheek with her hand.

"Oliver this wasn't your fault either. I didn't have to slam the glass down on the table," Grace insisted.

"Yes, but," Oliver began, but Grace put a finger to his lips.

"Remember what I said about love and how sometimes there is pain or sadness?" she asked him. He nodded. "Well this was just my little bit of pain I had to go through to get to the bliss." And with that, she kissed him lovingly, then looked at him, daring him to contradict her. Oliver simply smiled and kissed her palm again. She snuggled back into his chest and closed her eyes, yawning. Oliver tightened his arm around her, running his fingers through her hair with the other, until she fell asleep. Then he leaned back against their makeshift pillow and did the same.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N - Sorry for the wait, the story sort of took on a life of its own, I just got pulled along for the ride. :) And there will be another chapter after this one, but it is almost finished. Thanks to all who have reviewed so far, I really appreciate hearing what you have to say! **

Helen Pugh knew something was off in her kitchen before she even made it to the doorway, she could smell it. As she rounded the corner, she spotted the roast beef and its accompaniments, laid out on the counter. She huffed in irritation. No one, not even Mr. Warbucks, would dare leave her kitchen in such a state. The entire household knew the rules, feel free to help yourself to anything in the refrigerator or pantry, but clean up after yourself and never, ever, let food go to waste. Her eyes scanned the rest of the kitchen and lit upon the tea cup sitting on the table. Her brow furrowed, there were few in the house that would come for a cup of tea late at night and Grace was one of them. She walked over and picked up the cup, sniffing it. This was Grace's tea, that was certain, she was the only one who drank that particular kind. And Grace would never leave a cup of tea sitting on the table. Helen began to grow concerned. Surely something must have happened for all of this mess to be left behind. She had just decided to go and find Punjab or the Asp when she heard noises coming from the pantry.

Helen froze and listened, hearing nothing for a few moments, then the same snuffling she had heard before. She turned quietly and went to a drawer, pulling out her rolling pin and holding it in front of her like a weapon. She slowly approached the pantry, listening intently all the while, but all seemed quiet. She pressed an ear against the door and there it was again, a light snuffling, almost like a gentle snoring noise. Helen frowned, perhaps it would be prudent to get Punjab before she opened the door. She quickly discarded that idea though, she didn't mean for whoever was hiding in there to escape while she was off hunting down one of Mr. Warbucks' body guards. She stood up straight, grasping the doorknob with one hand, wielding the rolling pin in the other. As she quietly turned the knob, she remembered it was loose and that she had intended to speak to Drake about it this morning, then flung the door open, grasping the rolling pin in both hands and raising it over her head.

Shock was her first reaction when she saw the occupants of the pantry, delight was the second. Helen slowly lowered the rolling pin, a grin spreading across her face as she took in the sight of her boss and Grace, cuddled together on the floor. Confusion was the third, as she tried to piece together how and why they would have fallen asleep together in the pantry, of all places. As she grasped the inside knob of the door, she noticed how very loose it was, it all began to make sense - the tea cup on the table, but no biscuits, everything laid out on the counter for a roast beef sandwich, but no bread. Helen chuckled under her breath and went in search of something to prop the door open with, so no one else would have the same misfortune. Although, in this case, it seemed to have been quite the fortunate mishap.

She returned a few minutes later, a stout block of wood in her hand. She set it against the door frame to act as a prop, should the door happen to close of its own accord, and went and slowly shook the shoulder of Mr. Warbucks.

"Sir," she said quietly, "Sir, wake up." Mr. Warbucks stirred under her hand, a large yawn splitting his face.

"Yes, Mrs. Pugh," he said, as he opened his eyes. "What is it?" Helen held back a laugh, by the slimmest of margins.

"Well, sir, I thought that you might want to get out of the pantry and perhaps get a proper sleep in your room," she replied, giving him a serious look, crossing her arms in front of her, rolling pin still in one hand. Mr. Warbucks seemed to finally have awakened fully and become aware of the situation his cook had just found him and his secretary in. He instantly reddened.

"Uh, well, this, um, isn't what it looks like," he stammered, face burning. Helen couldn't help it, she had to have a little fun with him and gave him her one of her patented glares.

"Oh, believe me, I know exactly what it looks like and exactly what it is," Helen replied, still staring at him. "And all I have to say sir, is," Helen paused, unable to help the smile that was tugging at the corner of her mouth. "What took you so long?" Mr. Warbucks looked at her in shock, then laughed quietly.

"Well, that certainly is the question of the hour, now isn't it?" he replied. At this, Grace began to awaken, yawning widely herself. She sat up, not seeming to notice Mrs. Pugh. She smiled at Oliver and ran a hand across his chest.

"Good morning, my love," she said, smiling. Oliver bit his lip, holding in a laugh, as he gestured with his head toward Mrs. Pugh. Grace looked up and saw Helen standing in the doorway. Grace's mouth dropped open, her face lost all color, then turned the shade of a fire engine, as she covered it with her hands as best she could, given that she was still wearing Oliver's jacket.

"Oh come now, Grace," Mrs. Pugh laughed. "There's no need for that." Helen came inside the pantry and patted Grace on the arm, then pulled her to her feet. Helen steered her back into the kitchen and sat her down at the table. Sitting down beside Grace, Helen gave her a hug, and whispered in her ear.

"See what I mean about patience," she said. Grace laughed aloud then and hugged the woman back.

"Yes, yes I do," Grace replied, giving Helen the most genuine smile she had seen in weeks. Mr. Warbucks walked out of the pantry then and stood behind Grace, his hands on her shoulders. She reached up and covered one of his hands with her own.

"Thank you Mrs. Pugh," Mr. Warbucks said. "And be sure you let Drake know about that door. Wouldn't want anyone else to be stuck in there all night." He gave Mrs. Pugh a wink then took Grace's hand and pulled her to her feet. "Come my darling, let's get you into a proper bed." He kissed her hand as Grace blushed again, then began to lead her out of the kitchen. As they reached the door, he turned back to Mrs. Pugh.

"I trust that you will keep our," Mr. Warbucks paused, thinking. "Situation, to yourself?" Grace looked up sharply at him, then smiled as he gave her a wink.

"Of course, sir," Mrs. Pugh replied, as Mr. Warbucks nodded. Helen shook her head as she watched them go, then smiled and began to pull out the makings for breakfast.

* * *

><p>Oliver led Grace upstairs, intending to escort her to her room so she could catch a few hours sleep before Annie awoke. As they passed by his study, Grace noticed through the open door that the sun was just starting to come up.<p>

"Oh, Oliver look, let's go and watch the sunrise, please?" Grace exclaimed, pulling him into the study and towards the balcony.

"Of course, my dear," he replied, closing the door behind them. He led her out to the balcony and stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to lean back against him. She placed her hands over his and leaned her head back against his shoulder, enjoying the dawning of the new day. As the sun made it's full appearance above the horizon, Oliver turned her around in his arms and smiled, kissing her gently.

"Have I told you how very beautiful you are?" he asked, tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear. Grace blushed and looked away, but Oliver put a finger beneath her chin and tuned her back to look at him. "You are," he insisted, huskily, lowering his mouth to hers once more. Grace's arms wound round his neck, as he pulled her tighter to him. His hands slid down her sides to her hips and he was once again reminded of how very thin her nightclothes were. He broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. They were both breathing heavily when Oliver pulled away. He ran the back of his hand down Grace's cheek and smiled.

"Perhaps, I should walk you back to your room," he said. Grace smiled shyly and nodded.

"Yes, that probably would be best. I am rather tired," she admitted. Oliver tucked her arm in his and led her to the door, pausing to make sure there was no one in the hallway, before continuing down the hall to her room. They stopped in front of her door, but neither seemed to want to part. Finally, Grace slipped the jacket from her shoulders, handing it back to Oliver. She rose up on her tiptoes, kissing him lightly on the lips, then opened her door and slipped into her room. Oliver stood outside the door for a few moments longer, a smile on his face, jacket over his arm, then turned round and made his way to his own room for a quick nap before being awoken by his daughter.

* * *

><p>Grace sat on the back terrace, watching Annie and her friends run around the lawn and gardens. A permanent smile seemed etched on Grace's face as she listened to the girls laugh and shriek while they chased one another. She was sure that this was the first time they had actually played in a very long time, if ever. Annie had told her what life was like at the orphanage. After they had eaten lunch and changed into the new clothes Grace had gotten for them the day before, she ushered them outside where Annie suggested they play a game of tag. The girls were hesitant at first, looking down at their new clothes.<p>

"But, Annie," Duffy had whispered. "What if we fall down and get dirty?"

"It's all right dear," Grace had told her, smiling. "Everything washes." The girls still looked unsure, so Grace proposed Annie show them around the gardens, hoping they would eventually feel comfortable enough to just be children. It seemed to have worked, as Annie had finally convinced them playing was all right, new clothes or not, and they were all happily racing about the lawn. Grace glanced at her watch, wondering when Oliver would return. When she had arisen from her nap and come downstairs for a late breakfast, Annie had informed her that Oliver had left to take care of a few things. He hadn't indicated where he was going or when he would be back and Grace was beginning to wonder. She turned her attention back to the girls, who seemed to have switched from tag to hide and go seek.

As Grace watched, she heard footsteps behind her on the flagstones. Oliver sat down into the chair nest to her, giving her a smile and turning his attention to the children.

"Everything go all right?" she asked.

"Yes, I accomplished all I set out to," he replied, without looking at her.

"Something to do with work?" she asked.

"Oh, no, this was a personal matter," he said, as they watched Pepper dart out from behind a tree and run to the bench that had been designated as "home" for the girls' game. Grace glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, but it seemed that Oliver didn't intend to offer her any further information, he was watching the girls and smiling. Grace bit her lip, she knew it shouldn't bother her, but she **was** curious about where he had been. And even after everything that he had happened the night before and this morning, she was still nervous that he would change his mind once again. He seemed at peace with himself this afternoon, however, perhaps Grace was overreacting. Oliver wasn't required to run everything by her after all.

Still, he seemed rather distant and the fact that he had not touched her when he sat down, not even a brush of the hand, bothered her. Grace knew he was being discrete because of the staff, as well as Annie most likely, but after spending the night wrapped in his embrace, she felt a sense of loss at the lack of contact between them. She wanted to ask him what his intentions were regarding their relationship, but she couldn't seem to pluck up the courage. She gazed at him for a moment, wanting nothing more than to grab him and kiss his as soundly as they had on the balcony this morning. She shifted in her chair at the thought, causing Oliver to look over at her. As she met his eyes, she reddened and looked away, embarrassed as to where her thoughts had been taking her. Before Oliver could question her further, there was a shout from Annie.

"Daddy Warbucks!" she called, running toward the terrace. "You're back!" Grace started at Annie's use of the word Daddy, but saw the genuine smile on Oliver's face and couldn't help smiling herself. The two had talked this morning, Annie had told Grace that Oliver had told her the adoption was official. Annie ran up the stairs of the terrace, flinging herself into Oliver's arms and whispered something in his ear. She pulled back to look at him and Oliver smiled, nodding. Annie glanced quickly at Grace, then looked away, a very large grin on her face.

'What on earth is that about?' Grace wondered to herself.

"Daddy Warbucks, you have to meet all my friends," Annie, said, turning around and motioning to the girls, who stood at the bottom of the terrace steps looking somewhat shy. Grace watched as they all looked at each other and then Molly began to run up the steps after Annie. Grace saw what was going to happen before it did, and rose to her feet, hurrying toward the steps, but it was too late. Molly tripped and fell, skinning her knee in the process. She let out a wail, covering her knee with one hand, then gasped and clapped her other hand over her mouth, clearly thinking she was going to be reprimanded. Grace reached her only seconds later.

"It's all right dear, I know it hurts," Grace crouched down beside her, smoothing Molly's hair away from her face. "Let me see your knee, all right?" Molly nodded, tears running down her cheeks now, and took her hand away from her knee. It was bleeding, but Grace could see it was only a small scrape. Oliver was suddenly by Grace's side, handing her his handkerchief with a wry smile.

"This seems to be becoming a habit of mine," he chuckled. Grace laughed as well, then pressed the cloth to Molly's knee.

"Come on, sweetheart, let's get you inside," Grace said, smiling at the little girl. "Do you think you can stand and walk?"

"Nonsense, Miss Farrell," Oliver said, bending down and scooping Molly up into his arms. "Come along, my dear, let's get you all fixed up." He walked into the house, Annie and the other girls trailing behind. Grace remained frozen in place, staring at Oliver's back. So they were back to Miss Farrell, were they? Grace sighed, trying to force herself not to jump to conclusions and slowly followed the group into the house.

* * *

><p>Once Molly's knee had been cleaned and bandaged and her tears dried, she seemed none the worse for wear. The girls scampered off to Annie's room, Annie intent on showing them her knew toys and books. Once the girls were gone, Oliver had excused himself and gone to his study, closing the door behind him, leaving Grace to wonder if he regretted his actions this morning on the balcony. She touched her lips, remembering, and thought about following him into the study. But a few stolen moments here and there were not what she wanted. So, instead she made her way to Annie's room, hoping the giggling of little girls would take her mind off things.<p>

Grace spent the rest of the afternoon with Annie and her friends. She caught Annie looking at her quite often, with the most peculiar expression on her face, as if Annie knew something Grace did not. Every time she was caught, Annie would either smile broadly or look away quickly. Grace finally pulled her aside and asked her about it.

"Annie, is there something you want to talk to me about?" Grace asked.

"No," Annie replied, giving Grace another knowing smile.

"Is there something going on that I should know about?" Grace pressed, unable for the life of her, to figure out what Annie was hiding.

"No," Annie giggled, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Well, then, if you won't tell me, perhaps I can tickle it out of you," Grace said, holding her hands up and wiggling her fingers. Annie squealed in delight and ran across the room, attracting the attention of her friends, who quickly followed suit. Grace chased the girls around the room, tickling whomever came within her reach, until they all collapsed on the floor or the bed, panting for breath.

"That was fun," Tessie exclaimed, the other girls chiming in, in agreement. "We never get to do anything like this, at the orphanage." Grace's heart broke a little at the girl's words. Children, no matter where they lived, should be able to play and have fun. She wished she could scoop all of them up and keep them here with her. Still, she knew that Oliver had been talking with Mr. Donatelli from the board and had convinced him he needed to find someone much more suitable for the orphanage than Miss Hannigan had been. Mr. Donatelli was currently interviewing candidates and had given Oliver his word that he would find someone who would care for the girls as they deserved.

Oliver and Annie's story had also captured the attention of the press, and many of them had been invited to the party the following day. Grace hoped the attention would spur other families to consider adopting the girls that needed them so desperately. In the meantime, she intended to give them a wonderful weekend here at the mansion, as well as donating as many clothes and toys to the orphanage as she could.

Grace's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. She rose to open it and found Mrs. Greer standing on the other side.

"Mrs. Pugh asked me to let you and the girls know that it was nearly time for dinner," Mrs. Greer said, smiling.

"Thank you, Mrs. Greer," Grace answered. "We'll be right down." Grace turned to her young charges, ushering them into the bathroom adjoining Annie's room. "Come along girls, let's get you all washed up for dinner."

* * *

><p>"I've never seen so much food in one place," Pepper breathed, as she walked into the dining room, Drake pulling out her chair for her, then moved on to the other girls. Oliver did the same for Annie, as well as Kate and Duffy, before moving on to Grace's chair. As he pulled it out for her, he simply nodded in response to her smile, before walking to his own seat. Grace sighed quietly, shaking her napkin out and placing it on her lap.<p>

Dinner that evening was a noisy affair, the girls all chattering away with each other, as bowls and platters of steaming food made their way around the table. Grace watched Oliver as he answered the many questions the girls posed to him, but it seemed to Grace the he was deliberately not looking at her, as she was unable to catch his eye, no matter how hard she tried. Grace finally gave up and concentrated on her dinner, helping Molly with her roast when she needed it.

When the girls were finished with their dinner and dessert, Grace excused them, telling Annie she would be up shortly to help them all get ready for bed. She sat quietly finishing her tea, while Oliver sipped his brandy.

"Is everything ready for the party tomorrow?" Oliver asked.

"Yes, everything is finished, guests should begin arriving around 3:00," she replied, taking another sip of her tea. Oliver nodded, swirling his glass and studying its contents. Grace looked down at her tea cup, trying to understand how she could go from feeling as wonderful as she had this morning, to as self-conscious as she did now.

The silence seemed to grow larger between them as the minutes ticked by, interrupted only by Annette coming in to clear the table. Her tea finished, Grace saw no reason to continue to linger.

"I'll just go and ready the girls for bed then," she said, as she rose from the table.

"Please tell Annie I'll be in to say good night shortly," Oliver requested. Grace gave him a small nod, then walked around the table towards the door.

"Oh and Miss Farrell," Oliver called to her, as she reached the doorway. Grace paused, not trusting herself to look back at him. They were alone and yet it was still Miss Farrell.

"Yes?" she responded, her voice shaky.

"Once you've finished tucking the girls in, could you please meet me in my study? There's something I would like to discuss with you," Oliver finished. Grace gripped the door jamb with one hand and took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

"Of course, sir," she replied softly, hurrying from the room, fighting back tears as she did so.

* * *

><p>Grace managed to hold it together while she prepared the girls for bed. She started with Annie and Molly, who was sharing Annie's room for the weekend, so as not to run into Oliver coming in to say good night. She moved across the hall to the suite the other five girls were staying in and got them all into bed, brushing hair back from their foreheads and kissing them all atop the head. They all smiled at her, July kissing her back on the cheek, before diving beneath her covers in embarrassment. Grace smiled and patted her shoulder, before shutting out the light and pulling the door closed part way.<p>

She stood in the hall, leaning against the wall of the girls' room, arms crossed in front of her, head hanging. She didn't understand what had happened. Oliver had seemed so happy this morning and she was sure that he knew she felt the same. The logical part of her brain told her that he was just being careful. No matter how loyal the staff was, Grace knew there was bound to be some gossip about the two of them, once everyone found out. And they did have a houseful of children after all, not to mention all the people that would be attending the party the next day.

So Grace understood the need for discretion, but she didn't want to hide their relationship. She wanted to share her happiness with everyone, especially Annie. Of course there would be talk, gossip, speculation, about how they ended up together, when it had started, how long it had been going on. But Grace didn't care, let everyone talk and gossip as they would, she wanted the world to know that she was in love with Oliver, and he with her.

Or was he? This is what had been prodding the back of Grace's mind, since Oliver had joined her on the terrace this afternoon. Had he really been honest with her last night, or was it just that the enormity of the emotions he had gone through during their talk in the pantry had gotten away with him? Grace remembered him asking Mrs. Pugh not to tell anyone about what had gone on between he and Grace and wondered. And yet, that was before their interlude on the balcony.

She pulled herself from her thoughts and remembered that Oliver was waiting for her in his study. As Grace made her way slowly down the hall, she made up her mind to get to the bottom of whatever was going on. She would insist Oliver be honest with her, and she didn't intend to take no for an answer. Striding purposefully down the hall, Grace stopped outside the study, knocking on the door before she opened it and walked in.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N - Here it is, the last chapter, it's a long one. Thanks so much for all the reviews, they make my day! Hope you enjoy! **

Oliver stood in the study, waiting for Grace, fingering the box in his jacket pocket. He had checked over the things that Drake had sent up for him. The champagne was chilled in a bucket on the table, two crystal glasses sitting next to it. There was a single red rose in a small vase in front of the bucket. Oliver touched the box in his pocket again, the solidness of it a reassurance to him. Now all he needed was Grace.

He hoped she wasn't too angry with him. He knew he had been acting distant all day and that Grace had noticed. He was afraid he had hurt her, unintentionally of course, but he'd hurt her all the same. The thought of that cut him deeply, he never wanted to hurt her ever again. She'd suffered enough pain because of him, both physical and emotional, and Oliver vowed to make it up to her.

But still, he had wanted things settled between the two of them before he made any formal announcement. Oliver was well aware of the backlash that would occur when people found out, not so much on his own staff, but amongst society at large. He wanted to give them the least amount of gossip to chew on as possible. Grace didn't deserve to have to deal with whispering behind her back, simply because she was his secretary. Because she was so much more, she was everything. He wanted to spend his life with her, proving to her just how special she was.

Hearing footsteps in the hall, Oliver smiled. He turned at the knock on the door, but before he could say anything, Grace opened the door and strode into the room. The look on her face was not what he had expected. She looked upset, yet determined, all at the same time. His brow furrowed, as she stopped a few feet from him, arms crossed, eyes flashing.

"Grace?" Oliver took a hesitant stepped forward, reaching out a hand to her. "Is something wrong?" Grace stared at his hand for a moment, but did not reach for him, then laughed, but it was too high-pitched, too shaky, too **not** Grace. Yes, something was definitely wrong.

"So it's Grace again, is it?" she asked, not bothering to mask the anger in her voice. "Is that how it's to be then? Miss Farrell where anyone might hear, but Grace when we're alone?" Oliver's jaw dropped, and he simply stared at her, unable to speak, unable to move. Grace's jaw clenched, her nostrils flaring.

"I won't do that Oliver, I won't. I won't have you act one way towards me when we're around other people, then expect me to fall in your arms when we're not," Grace fumed. Oliver tried to close his mouth, tried to come up with something to say, but his brain seemed to have shut down. He realized what a mistake he had made today, that he should have explained sooner, should have made her understand what he was doing. He had been in such a hurry to do things right, to make things special, that he had ended up turning the whole thing into a complete mess. Grace seemed to misunderstand his silence, anger giving way to hurt on her face.

"I can't believe that you would treat me as some..some..tart, that you can have your way with and then brush aside when it suits you," she said quietly, one tear escaping from her eye and making it's way down her cheek. She looked up at Oliver, her eyes brimming with tears and the sight of her anguish finally broke him out of his stupor.

"Grace, please," he said, reaching for her once again. But she crossed her arms more tightly in front of her, turning away from him, shoulders shaking as she cried.

"Grace," he said again, wanting to go to her, gather her into his arms, but afraid of what she might do if he did. She didn't turn, just shook her head and his heart broke, cursing himself for his foolishness. Would it have hurt if he had squeezed her hand beneath the table when he joined her on the terrace? Would a smile or a look between them have gone amiss? What had he been thinking, approaching this as some business deal between them? He loved this woman, wanted her with him for always, and he had been treating her as just another employee.

Oliver went to her then, placing a hand on her shoulder, turning her to him, taking her into his arms. She allowed him to wrap his arms around her, although she didn't sink against him as she normally did and didn't return his embrace. He pulled back from her, laying a hand on her cheek. Grace pulled away from him, ever so slightly, and he sighed resignedly, taking her elbow instead and steering her toward the sofa.

* * *

><p>Grace let Oliver lead her to the sofa, wondering how she had gone from being so angry, to a crying mess in such a short amount of time. She had been determined to get the truth from him, but the more she thought about it, the more hurt she became. He didn't seem to have any ready answers for her, which just confirmed her suspicions that he had changed his mind in his intentions toward her. Misery rolled over her at the thought.<p>

"Please, sit," Oliver said. Grace sat down, leaning back into the corner, as far away from Oliver as she could get. She still wouldn't look at him, choosing instead to study her hands which were clasped in her lap.

"Grace, I'm sorry," Oliver began. "I didn't mean," at this he broke off, as if unsure of how to continue. Grace glanced at him from under her lashes, then looked down once more. She waited, but he didn't continue, just shifted on the sofa, nervously, Grace assumed. She shook her head, not knowing what to say, but knowing she couldn't, wouldn't continue like this.

"Oliver," Grace began, then paused, taking in a deep breath. "I can't do this, Oliver. I can't only be with you when it's convenient, stealing moments here and there."

"Grace," Oliver said, but Grace interrupted.

"If you're worried about what people will say, because I'm your secretary, I don't care about that," Grace continued, still looking down at her lap.

"Grace," Oliver tried to interject again.

"No, Oliver, please. I love you, but if you don't," she continued.

"Grace!" Oliver said, rather forcefully. Grace startled, finally looking up at him, but he was no longer sitting next to her. He was on one knee before her, and then he reached up and took her hand.

"What, what are you doing on the floor?" Grace asked, looking mystified.

"Grace, please, just let me say something," Oliver asked, giving her a smile.

"All right," she agreed, nodding.

"I'm sorry Grace," Oliver said again. "If I had known how my actions toward you today would have come across, I would have handled things completely differently. I never meant to hurt you." Grace, misunderstanding what Oliver was trying to say, pulled her hand from his, looking away. Her lip began to quiver and new tears leaked from her eyes.

* * *

><p>Oliver sighed and scrubbed a hand across his face, things were not going as he had planned. Somehow Grace had gotten it into her head that he only wanted her as an occasional dalliance. He wasn't sure where this had come from, surely after everything they had shared last night, he being a bit standoffish in front of the staff couldn't have made her doubt him so completely? But somehow it had. And Oliver wasn't helping the situation, trying to explain things to her and doing a horrible job of it. He decided it was time to put his plan aside and just tell her how he felt.<p>

Oliver sat back on the sofa and moved as close to Grace as he dared. He reached out and cupped her chin in his hand, turning her head to look at him. She met his eyes for only a few seconds, then looked down again.

"Grace, look at me please," Oliver said. She shook her head.

"Please," Oliver pleaded. Grace looked up, her eyes bright with unshed tears, others making their way down her cheeks. Oliver wiped her tears away with a thumb, cupping her face in his hand. She stared at him, allowing the contact, but the tears didn't slow. He leaned forward and kissed her tear tracks gently, placing a hand on either side of her face. He stared deep into her eyes, then softly kissed her lips. She shuddered, closing her eyes, as he kissed her again. This time, she pulled back, looking at him for a few minutes before she spoke.

"Oliver, I can't, I," she began, but Oliver interrupted before she could continue.

"Shh," he said, placing a finger against her lips. "Just listen, please." She nodded and he took her hands in his.

"I love you Grace. Everything I said to you last night and this morning, it was all true. I love you with my whole heart, my entire being. I don't want to steal time when it's convenient and hide you away the rest of the time. This isn't some dalliance, for a minute or an hour or a day. I want you by my side when I wake up in the morning and when I go to bed at night and all the time in between, for the rest of my days. I want to spend my life showing you what a beautiful, intelligent, special woman you are. I want to watch our children grow and spoil our grandchildren rotten with you. I love you Grace." As he finished, Oliver reached into his pocket and pulled out a box, then dropped back to one knee on the floor before her. He opened the box, inside was nestled the largest and most beautiful diamond ring Grace had ever seen.

"Marry me, Grace," Oliver said, looking up at her. Grace gasped, a look of shock on her face. Oliver almost chuckled at her expression, clearly this was not what she had been expecting at all.

"Oliver, what?" Grace whispered, looking at him, searching his face. "I, but, you," she stammered. Oliver knelt, waiting patiently for her to process what had just happened. She finally seemed to gather herself, shaking her head as if to clear it.

"Oliver, are you sure?" she asked, quietly.

"I've never been more sure of anything," Oliver responded, smiling widely at her. Grace took a deep breath, looking from the ring to Oliver and back again. Oliver held his breath, waiting. Then slowly, a smile began to form at the corners of her mouth, until she was grinning as widely as he was.

"Then, yes," she said and Oliver slid the ring onto her finger. He stood and pulled her to her feet, then picked her up and swung her around, laughing heartily. He set her back on her feet and kissed her until they both needed to come up for air. Grace lay her head and hand against his chest and he swayed gently from side to side, as she looked at the ring. She looked up at him and kissed him again, slowly and sweetly. As they pulled apart once more, Grace noticed the champagne and the glasses on the table. Her brow furrowed and then her eyes widened as realization overtook her.

"Oliver, did you have this planned all along?" she asked. Oliver followed her line of sight and saw what she was looking at.

"Well, yes," he admitted.

"Oh, Oliver, I'm sorry," she exclaimed, tears leaking from her eyes again.

"Grace? What's all this now? I thought you were happy," Oliver asked, concerned.

"Yes, of course I am, it's just, I came in here ranting like a crazy person and you had this whole proposal planned and I ruined it with all my insecurities," she reddened and put her hands to her face. Oliver gathered her back into his arms, stroking her hair and kissing her temple. He pulled her hands gently away from her face and tilted her chin up.

"You are not a crazy person and you did not ruin anything," he insisted. "It's I who should be apologizing to you."

"Whatever for?" she asked, puzzled.

"For acting the way I did today. I was simply trying to be discrete because of the staff, but I took it too far. I made you think I didn't want you and there is no excuse for that," he finished, looking ashamed of himself.

"Oliver," Grace said, putting a hand to his cheek. "It wasn't your fault. I should have had more faith in you."

"Why? Because I've given you so many reasons to trust my feelings for you up to now?" he said, derisively. She chuckled.

"All right, so I suppose we both share a bit of the blame," Grace said, smiling at him, then giving him a quick kiss.

"Yes, I suppose we do," Oliver agreed. "But that doesn't matter now, because I've got everything I want right here." He pulled her closer to him, kissing her ardently. Grace sighed, then shivered, running her hands up his chest and twining them around his neck. One hand on her neck, his other snaked around her waist to the small of her back, pulling her as close to him as he could, as he began to place soft kisses down the side of her neck. After a few minutes, Grace pulled back and Oliver looked up, startled.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice husky.

"I was just thinking that we have a houseful of children, six of whom have never slept here before," she looked at him pointedly. "Remember Annie's first night?" Oliver contemplated that for a moment, then went back to his ministrations on her neck.

"Annie was alone," he said in between kisses. "The girls have each other. Besides, I asked Punjab and Mrs. Greer to look in on them. They'll be fine." He had made his way to Grace's collarbone now, kissing it gently before moving back to her mouth. Grace had sighed softly as Oliver had continued his trail down her neck, and now was trying to regain her senses enough to remember why they should stop. Oh, yes, the children, that was it.

"Oliver," she said, against his lips.

"Hm," he responded, not stopping kissing her.

"Oliver, we have to stop," she insisted, pulling away from him, even as he tried to pull her closer. "Oliver." He groaned, resting his forehead against hers.

"Remind me again why I agreed to have a houseful of children here this weekend?" he asked, feigning annoyance. Grace laughed, swatting his chest playfully. He smiled and kissed her forehead, then took her hand.

"Come, my dear, let's not let this champagne go to waste," Oliver said, leading her back to the sofa. Grace sat, while Oliver poured two glasses of champagne, then handed her a glass as he sat beside her.

"To the most beautiful woman in the world," he said, raising his glass. "Who has made me the luckiest man in the world." Grace smiled shyly, then clinked her glass to his and took a sip. He smiled at her, then leaned forward and kissed her gently. She kicked off her shoes and scooted closer to him, drawing her legs up under her. He wrapped an arm around her as she leaned into his chest. They sat that way for a very long time, sipping their champagne, Oliver idly running a hand through Grace's hair, Grace studying her ring and thinking. Suddenly she popped up, looking at Oliver, shock on her face.

"Annie knows, doesn't she?" she asked, the pieces of the puzzle finally sliding into place. "The way she kept looking at me all day and when she whispered in your ear on the terrace? She's known all day!" Oliver chuckled, unable to help himself.

"Yes, I discussed it with her this morning," he replied. "She was very excited when I told her I wanted you to be her mother." His eyes twinkled as Grace's mouth dropped open. Her mother, Annie's mother. Grace hadn't really thought about it, not concretely at least. She already felt like Annie's mother, after all. But now she would be, really and truly would be, and the thought of that brought on a new round of tears, happy ones, but tears all the same. Oliver seemed to understand and reached for his handkerchief, then remembered he had given it to Molly earlier and hadn't replaced it. No matter, he simply pulled Grace closer to him and let her cry into his jacket, kissing her temple and tightening his arm around her.

"I'm sorry, Oliver," Grace said a few minutes later, sitting up and wiping away a stray tear with the back of her hand.

"There's no need to apologize," Oliver insisted, taking her hand and kissing it, then shrugging out of his jacket and laying across the back of the nearby chair. "I felt much the same way when I thought about it." She smiled at him tenderly, then laughed as she realized the enormity of the secret.

"I still can't believe she was able to keep it from me," Grace exclaimed.

"She had a very difficult time of it, she confessed to me at bedtime," Oliver admitted, chuckling himself. "I suppose we'll have one very excited little girl, come morning."

"Our little girl," Grace breathed, a dreamy look in her eyes. "I like the sound of that very much."

"As do I my dear, as do I," Oliver agreed, snuggling her close to him once again. They sat in silence once again, Grace tracing small circles on his chest, deep in thought.

"Oliver," she began, biting her lip, not wanting to taint the joyfulness of the evening, but she had to know. "What are you planning on telling everyone?" Oliver pulled back from her a bit, so he could see her face. He saw the uncertainty there, something he had vowed he would never cause to be on her face again, not regarding his feelings about her. He sat up, taking her hands in his, looking into her eyes.

"I plan on telling everyone that I am the luckiest man in the world because you have agreed to become my wife. And that I love you more than anything in this world," Oliver said. He gripped Grace's hands tighter. "I don't ever want you to doubt my love for you again, Grace. Ever." The look on his face was so fiercely determined, that Grace gasped, then grabbed him by the front of his shirt, pulling him to her and kissing him as soundly as he had her this morning on the balcony. When they broke apart, Grace looked shocked at her boldness. Oliver just chuckled, running a finger down her cheek, then pulled her close to him again, as they resumed their earlier position on the couch.

"So, have you thought about when you might want to have the wedding?" Oliver asked.

"Tomorrow," Grace answered immediately and Oliver laughed loudly.

"I don't think we could pull that off, even with all of my resources," Oliver replied, smiling mischievously at her. "Although I do echo the sentiment."

"Well, as soon as possible then," Grace said, smiling back at him. "I don't need a big extravagant affair, Oliver. I just need you and Annie and the staff of course. We should have it here, in the gardens. Annie could be the flower girl, oh she'll be adorable!" Grace exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. Oliver smiled in delight, he loved seeing her so excited.

"All right, how about in a week then?" Oliver suggested.

"Perfect," Grace agreed. She sighed contentedly, laying her head back on Oliver's shoulder, snuggling up to him once more. Oliver kissed her forehead and smiled himself, content for the first time in a very long time.

* * *

><p>Oliver awoke an hour later, momentarily disoriented. Then he felt the warm weight of Grace against his chest, her breathing deep and even, and he realized they had fallen asleep on the sofa in his study. He glanced down at his sleeping bride, his bride, how he loved thinking that, and smiled. Then he contemplated the situation and what he should do. Propriety dictated he wake Grace and escort her to her room, but he'd had quite enough of propriety to last him for a very long time. Oliver toed off his shoes and shifted, careful not to wake Grace. He scooted down the sofa until he was lying on his back, Grace on her side next to him. He smoothed her hair away from her face and placed a gentle kiss atop her head. Grace shifted slightly, tightening her arm around his waist, burrowing deeper into his chest and sighed, a smile ghosting over her lips in her sleep. Oliver smiled himself, taking a deep breath and relaxing back into the couch, and fell back asleep.<p>

* * *

><p>Grace awoke some hours later, experiencing the same disorientation, until she felt Oliver's arm, heavy and warm around her. She smiled and yawned, propping her chin on his chest to watch him while he slept. He snored softly, she could feel his chest rising and falling beneath her chin, as she reached out a hand and brushed his cheek. He stirred a bit, but did not waken, and she was content to watch him for a few minutes more. Then the clock in the corner slowly began to chime and as Grace listened, she realized it was already 8:00 in the morning. She jumped up, gasping. The girls would be up soon, if they weren't already, and all of the staff already was. Grace's sudden movement startled Oliver, who snapped awake, sitting up quickly.<p>

"What is it?" he asked, concerned. "What's wrong?" He searched Grace's face, registering her shocked expression, then glanced at the clock in the corner and seeing the time, swore under his breath. He never slept this late. Oliver had fully intended to wake early, letting both of them get back to their rooms in plenty of time to wash and dress before anyone else was up.

"Grace, I'm sorry, I should have woken you last night, but you looked so peaceful, and," Grace stopped him with a finger to his lips.

"I don't regret this Oliver, not for a second, so just stop right now," she insisted. "I'm just trying to decide what the best excuse is for me being here all night. Someone's bound to see me leaving. There will be talk." She looked at him, searching his face for any embarrassment or regret, but there was none.

"Let them talk then," Oliver said, vehemently. "We've nothing to be ashamed of Grace. I told you I didn't want to hide you away and I meant it." He kissed her then, as if to solidify his point. As he pulled away, he realized he wasn't being entirely fair. He didn't care what anyone said about him, but he did have Grace's feelings to consider. He didn't want her to be the topic of idle gossip.

"I'm sorry, I should have asked how you felt about it," he said, looking at her apologetically.

"I told you, I don't regret it Oliver and I meant that," Grace responded, caressing his cheek. "I don't care what anyone says either. I love you." With that, she returned his kiss. "But, we should probably get up and get changed, the girls will be looking for us soon," Grace reminded him.

"Yes, of course," Oliver agreed, standing and pulling her up from the sofa. They both slipped into their shoes, and he gave her one last kiss, then led her to the door. Opening it, they came face to face with Punjab, whose hand was raised in the air, poised to knock. True to form, Punjab's face gave away nothing, he simply nodded to the two of them.

"Sahib, young mistress and her friends have awakened. She is asking for you and Miss Farrell," Punjab reported.

"Thank you Punjab, please tell Annie we will be there shortly." Punjab nodded, then turned and walked back toward the girls' rooms. Oliver looked at Grace, who bit her lip, unsure of what to do.

"You go to your rooms and change," Oliver said "I'll get my jacket and go to Annie's room. My suits all look the same anyway," he chuckled. "You can meet us there when you're ready and we'll give her the news together." Grace smiled, kissed him quickly and hurried down the hall to her room. Oliver went back into his study and pulled his on his jacket, smoothing his shirt and trousers as he did so. He took a deep breath and walked down the hall to Annie's room, bracing himself for the onslaught of questions he knew she would ask the moment he crossed the threshold.

* * *

><p>Grace all but ran to her room, intent on nothing but dressing as quickly as possible so she could see Annie's face as she heard the news. Grace, smiling as she entered her room, came face to face with Annette, who had come in to bring fresh towels and linens. Grace glanced from Annette, to her bed which had obviously not been slept in, and back again. Annette's mouth formed a small "o", as she took in Grace's disheveled appearance and the fact that Grace was still in the same clothes as yesterday. Grace's mind emptied for a long moment, no words forthcoming, and then she took the towels from Annette, smiling and thanking her.<p>

"I'll just take care of these myself," Grace insisted. "I'm sure you've plenty of work to do today."

"Thank you Miss Farrell," Annette replied, smiling. Grace could tell she was full of questions, but Oliver's staff were far too well-trained to ask any of them. Grace returned the smile, then watched Annette leave the room, closing the door behind her. Grace let out a loud breath, setting the linens down on the bed and hurrying to her closet for a change of clothes.

Ten minutes later, clothes changed, hair brushed and face washed, Grace walked quickly to Annie's room, the noise reaching her before she got to the door. The girls were shrieking and laughing and as Grace opened the door she immediately saw why. Oliver was lying on Annie's bed, being pummeled with pillows, wielded by all seven girls. Grace laughed, leaning against the door frame, enjoying the sight. She never would have thought, a mere two weeks ago, that she would ever see her serious, no-nonsense boss having a pillow fight. Of course, she never expected to be wearing his ring either, just proving how much Annie had changed them all.

After a few minutes, Annie finally caught sight of her and ran across the room, jumping into her arms.

"Good morning my dear," Grace said, kissing Annie's forehead. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did," Annie replied. "Did you?" Grace looked at Oliver, who was smiling at her from the bed.

"Yes, I slept very well, Annie," Grace said. "Very well indeed." Oliver gave her a wink and Grace chuckled quietly, setting Annie down on her feet. Annie looked at her curiously.

"What's funny?" she asked, but Grace merely shook her head.

"Nothing, my dear. Come over here and sit on the bed, your father and I have something to tell you." Grace led Annie to the foot of the bed and sat down beside her, Oliver sitting up, putting a hand on Grace's shoulder. Annie was looking from one to the other, suspiciously, then she smiled widely.

"You said yes, right?" Annie exclaimed. "Daddy Warbucks asked you to marry him and you said yes?" Grace laughed, tweaking the little girl's cheek.

"Yes, you little scamp, I said yes," she replied. "I hear you kept a very big secret yesterday." Annie smiled proudly and nodded her head.

"So, this means you're my mom right?" Annie asked. "My mother, really and truly?" Grace hugged Annie tightly to her.

"Yes, sweetheart, really and truly. Forever and always," Grace kissed the little girl's hair, a tear sliding slowly down Grace's cheek. She looked over at Oliver, who rubbed a gentle hand down her back, smiling at her all the while. Annie pulled away a minute later, smiling at both her parents, who were staring at each other. Grace became aware that there were many sets of eyes on them, having almost forgotten that Annie's friends were also in the room. She squeezed Oliver's hand, then turned back to her daughter, a smile on her face.

"Can I see the ring, Mom?" Annie asked. Grace startled for a moment at the name, then smiled at Annie, kissing her atop the head.

"Of course, dear," Grace answered, holding out her hand. Annie took it, then looked at the ring and back up at Grace.

"Leapin' lizards," she breathed and Oliver laughed loudly. Then Grace was suddenly surrounded by six other little bodies, all clamoring for a look. She showed all of them, smiled at the awe on their faces, then turned back to Annie.

"We're getting married next week, we want you to be the flower girl. If you'd like, to that is," Grace added.

"Would I!" Annie exclaimed, bouncing up and down on the bed. Grace and Oliver both laughed.

"Well, first, I believe we have a party today," Grace said, looking at all the girls. "So, I think you'd better all get dressed so we can go down and get some breakfast." The girls all scurried to Annie's closet to pick out their clothes, then headed to bedrooms and bathroom to change. Oliver and Grace were left alone in Annie's bedroom and he leaned over and kissed her softly.

"Well, she took that rather well," Oliver smirked and Grace laughed.

"Yes, I suppose she did," Grace agreed. "We may have a slight problem, however." Oliver's brow furrowed as Grace relayed what had happened when she had gotten back to her room that morning.

"Don't worry my dear, you just get the girls ready for breakfast and I'll take care of it." He kissed her quickly, then got up and left the room. Grace watched him go, confused, but did as he asked.

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later, Grace and the girls approached the staircase and Grace was surprised to see the entire staff assembled at the foot, Oliver standing a few steps up from the bottom. He turned at their approach and smiled at her, gesturing with his hand for her to join him. Grace let go of Molly's hand and descended the steps to Oliver's side. He took her hand in his, then turned to the staff.<p>

"I wanted to inform all of you that last night, I asked Miss Farrell, that is, Grace," he paused, smiling at her, "to be my wife." There were a few gasps from the staff, as Oliver continued. "And she said yes," he finished, eyes shining. It was silent for a moment, then the staff erupted into applause and cheers. Grace looked out on them all, Mrs. Pugh cheering and clapping loudest of all, of course, but even the normally stoic Drake was grinning and clapping along with the rest. Grace blushed and was then gathered into Oliver's arms, a swift kiss placed on her lips. She smiled up at him, then looked out at the staff again, grin still on her face. She had thought the staff would accept their relationship, but she never expected this type of response.

"Thank you everyone," she said. "The wedding is next week and you're all invited, of course." More cheers and applause rang out at this news and then Oliver and Grace were surrounded by their staff, offering congratulations, women oohing and aahing over the ring and hugs all around. Finally everyone drifted off to work, there was a party to prepare for after all. Grace and Oliver led Annie and her friends to the dining room for breakfast, smiles on their faces and in their hearts.

* * *

><p>Hours later, Oliver stood at the bottom of the steps, waiting for his fiancée. Annie was being readied by Cecile, so Grace could greet guests with Oliver. Annie and Oliver had something special planned for the party, even Grace didn't know exactly what they were doing. Oliver looked at his watch again, wondering just exactly how long it took one woman to get ready, when he heard the tell-tale sound of her heels clicking on the floor above him. Oliver turned and drew in a breath at the sight of Grace at the top of the stairs.<p>

She wore a slim-fitting dress, which sat slightly off her shoulders. Her hair was pinned up in a fancy twist, flowers twined within it, strands of pearls at her neck. She walked slowly down the stairs, smiling at Oliver as she approached. He took her hand and kissed it as she reached him, then looked her slowly up and down.

"I'm not sure if I should let you out of my sight tonight, looking like that," he said.

"Why, is something wrong?" Grace immediately began to inspect herself. She gasped as Oliver put an arm round her waist and pulled her to him.

"No, you just look entirely too stunning for anyone else's eyes but mine," he murmured, kissing her softly and Grace blushed. At that moment, they heard chattering behind them on the stairs and looked up to see Annie's friends being shepherded down by Mrs. Greer and Mrs. Pugh. They stopped at the bottom smiling widely at Oliver and Grace.

"Don't you ladies look lovely," Oliver said, smiling. The girls giggled.

"Yes, they most certainly do," Grace agreed, beaming at them. "Why don't you all go outside and see the circus." The girls' eyes widened.

"There's a circus," Molly asked in awe. "In your backyard?" Grace laughed, patted the girl on the head.

"Yes, there is my dear, complete with all kinds of treats," Grace whispered conspiratorially. The girls all began talking at once, turning to hurry out the door to the terrace, laughing and giggling as they saw the sights before them. Oliver and Grace watched them go, smiling in amusement.

"Is there anything sweeter than the laughter of children?" Grace asked, leaning back against Oliver, as he wound his arms round her waist.

"Hm, I can think of one thing," Oliver whispered, kissing her behind the ear. Grace drew in a shaky breath.

"Oh and what's that?" she asked, breathlessly.

"The word, yes," he said, fingering the ring on her hand, as she smiled. "But the other is a close second, I must admit. Perhaps we should get to work on that soon," he whispered. Grace gasped, turning to look at him, instantly reddening. He wore a smirk on his face, not abashed at all.

"Oliver!" Grace exclaimed, still blushing. He simply shrugged, smirk still adorning his face and Grace couldn't help but laugh. "You're impossible."

"I do try, my dear, I do try," he murmured, as he kissed her. They were interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. Drake opened the front door and the President and Mrs. Roosevelt came through.

"Oliver," President Roosevelt exclaimed, "how wonderful to see you twice in as many weeks."

"Franklin," Oliver nodded, shaking his hand. "Let me introduce you to the future Mrs. Warbucks, my fiancée, Grace Farrell."

"Fiancée? Oliver, that's marvelous!" the President exclaimed. "Congratulations, my dear," he continued, shaking Grace's hand.

"Thank you sir, it's an honor to meet you," Grace replied. "Welcome to our home." Mrs. Roosevelt took her hand as well.

"Congratulations, Miss Farrell," she said, smiling.

"Thank you, Mrs. Roosevelt, but please, call me Grace," Grace insisted.

"Only if you agree to call me Eleanor," Mrs. Roosevelt returned and Grace nodded, smiling. The four chatted amicably for a few minutes before the President and Mrs. Roosevelt moved on to the back terrace and the party.

Oliver and Grace continued to greet guests, Oliver introducing Grace as his future bride each time. There were a few raised eyebrows amongst the society women and some of Oliver's business associates, who knew that Grace was Oliver's secretary, but Grace took it all in stride, smiling politely and welcoming everyone, while ignoring the looks. Eventually, all the guests had arrived and Oliver escorted Grace outside to join the party. They mingled with the guests, Grace playing the perfect hostess. Oliver smiled as she worked her way around the terrace and the lawn, chatting with guests, making sure everyone had enough to eat and drink and attending to the children when needed. She truly was amazing and he wished once again that it hadn't taken him such a long time to realize it.

Finally, it was time for Oliver to meet Annie. He collected her from inside the house, then they began their song and dance number as they entered the terrace. Everyone seemed thrilled with the performance and Oliver caught the delight on Grace's face as she watched. As the two the them neared her, Oliver couldn't resist and paused in his singing long enough to place a gentle kiss Grace's lips, then went back to Annie and finished the song. After giving Annie her new locket, Oliver gathered his daughter and future wife to him, kissing Grace softly as he put his arms around them both, and they watched the fireworks explode in the sky over the mansion. As Grace leaned a head on his shoulder, Oliver sighed contentedly, leaning his head down against hers. Grace looked up at him, and he at her, the look they gave each other needing no words. Oliver pulled Grace tighter to his side and smiled to himself. He truly was the luckiest man in the world.

The End


End file.
